View Larger Image |
Ran (Masterworks Edition) Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu Director: Akira Kurosawa Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen, Dolby Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Running Time: 160 minutes Studio: Wellspring Media, In Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2003-04-15 Buy from Amazon |
 "One of the worst DVD transfers ever...what a shame!"This masterpeice is one of the great films. Kurosawa's genius is diminished by the shoddy transfer to DVD that makes this all but unwatchable. The VHS version is far superior in every way. The folks who transferred this to DVD should be ashamed of their shoddy work!  ""Man is born crying. When he stops crying, he dies.""After watching Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear," I was reminded of a quote of his I once heard. Someone had apparently asked him what one of his films meant, and to this he simply replied that he did not know, and that if he knew, he would not have had to make the film. For "Ran," it is interesting how Lord Hidetora's struggle in the film mirrors Akira Kurosawa's own life. Not as appreciated in his own country as he was earlier in his career, Kurosawa had trouble getting funding for his films during the latter part of his life. Compounded with this was the fact that he was slowly growing blind, and had tried to commit suicide but failed. Lord Hidetora in the film, after dividing up his kingdom to his sons, faces a violent backlash when his sons try to cease power, causing him to try and commit suicide, but failing, and eventually going insane. Great directors imbue their films with their own thoughts, passions, and emotions, and "Ran" is nothing short of a brilliant summation of a Master filmmaker. Ten years in pre-production profferred a film of unbridled scope and vision. Everything from costumes to production design to music were meticulously planned, bringing about one of the most amazing films I have ever seen. Kurosawa always had a way of engraining his films with latent humanism, and in "Ran," every shot, every color, every symbol, every line, every action, is imbued with meaning and conviction. The pacing is slow and methodical, almost meditative. The camera rarely jumps in for close ups, as is the case with many Hollywood films, but instead sits back, as if it is observing from a god-like point of view. There are moments in the film that are breath taking for its beauty, its violence, and its emotional resonance. It is a film so alive, that only a man near the end of his life would be able to make. The DVD transfer does not even come close to doing this film justice, but it is great film and needs to be seen regardless. "Ran" is a triumph of filmmaking, and an example of how great films always stay with you. "Outstanding"This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. King Lear in 16th century Japan. An old warlord splits his land amoung his three sons, but ends up banishing one because of his arrogance. The family begins to crumble as ambitions come forth. Visually stunning, with wide, sweeping landscapes and scenes seperated with shots of clouds, reinforcing the mood of the time. Robbed of too many Oscars, this film hands down stands the test of time better than most films released that year. "Kurosawa is the master, the camera is his sword."If a person only sees one Kurosawa film in his/her lifetime, or just one foriegn movie in general, it should be none other than 'Ran'. It begins with warriors on horseback, watching the endless terrain for intruders. Haunting music plays in background, and one knows their in for something special. An epic in every sense of the word, 'Ran' is the story of a Lord dividing his territory between his three sons. Ignoring the warning of his youngest son, Saburo, the Lord exiles him. Before he realizes what he has done, his oldest son turns against his father. What happens next will be nothing but chaos, just as the title suggests. 'Ran' has some of the most beautiful battle sequences ever filmed. One would think that watching dozens of being brutally slaughtered couldn't be beautiful, but one has to see this movie to believe it. 'Ran' has also one of the most mischievous female characters created, Lady Kaede. The story is based on King Lear, but I'm willing to bet Kurosawa got the inspiration of Lady Kaede from Lady Macbeth. This woman will do anything and everything to have her way; putting on a false face and tears, sleep with her husband's brother, and order the death of an innocent woman. In the end, things get very bloody and a little confusing, but the final scene suggests a cry to help humanity. "This is the only review I've ever felt the need to write."I recently saw this film for the first time; It was a revelation. It is the greatest film I have ever seen. It is the greatest performance of Shakespeare I have ever seen-- and it doesn't even include any of the Bard's dialogue. It is the greatest period piece I have ever seen-- or read. It is, quite simply, a titanic masterwork. As I watched it unfold (or rather explode,) every shot was the most beautiful I had ever witnessed. The sound-- perfect. The cinematography-- perfect. Music? You guessed it-- perfect. Acting? For this movie-- perfect. Even the makeup was the best I've ever seen. My initial reaction at the end of Ran? I couldn't believe such a movie even existed. Everyone always knew that nobody filmed men in motion like Kurosawa. Who knew that nobody filmed men at rest just as well? And all in one film? Nobody insists that Kurosawa came from nothing. His stories came from Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare, and Japanese legend. Some of his film techniques came from Orson Welles. But nobody ever put it all together like this. The man spent ten years alone storyboarding while looking for cash-- and when Kurosawa storyboarded, he went all out. Full-sized paintings, sometimes dozens for one scene. And-- get this-- he was seventy five, and nearly blind. Keep that in mind during the last shot of the film, which, by the way, all respect to Truffaut, is the greatest ever. The work paid off. Greatest film I've seen. Period. See it now. See it over and over. |
