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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 |
 "This Is The Greatest Film Ever Made"This is simply the greatest film ever made. It provides an insight into the human condition unmatched in film history. It ranks with the great masterworks in history Hamlet Illiad Mahabharata The Gospel According To Luke. It shows what humans are like and why our world is the way it is. No film can match this. If one ever does I will be sure to let you know.  "No Time"I agree that this is a great movie. Also that this DVD is not a good transfer. The resolution is mediocre. However, the main problem is that it has no time display and won't accept "Last Memo." Nobody has noted that. There are (only) nine scenes which can be accessed directly. To be sure, within each of these there are several skip points, but these are nowhere identified, relying entirely on the memory of the viewer and trial and error to return to the last point seen. I for one rarely watch a movie continuously. There are errands, sleep, etc.. You'd have to leave the player running on pause to save your place, and some players won't even do that for more than a few minutes. These lacks are essentially fatal flaws, but this DVD is the only version available. You don't expect this kind of stuff except on...Madacy discs and the like. Some other DVDs have this same problem. Why? How hard can it be? Also, on this one there are no special features, unless you call a preview special, and there is no insert pamphlet - short shrift for a "World's Greatest Movie." I await a redo. "Kurosawa's brilliant epic"Aged warlord Hidetori Ishimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai), influenced by an ominous vision, rashly decides to divide House Ishimonji between his three sons. His youngest son Saburo objects, understanding both the true nature of his ambitious brothers and knowing full well that his father's decision would likely mean the end of everything the old warlord has fought for. He speaks his mind, and is disowned for doing so. Yet he was prophetic. Within weeks his brothers are plotting war and conquest, and Hidetori finds himself relegated to the background, ignored and disrespected. War breaks out, and as the destruction mounts on both sides, Hidetori slowly descends into madness. Some have alleged that this is King Lear transported to feudal Japan. Kurosawa did borrow from Shakespeare (not just Lear but also MacBeth) , but mixed into the plot elements from Japanese mythology and history, as well as his own feelings about loyalty. The end result is stunning to behold. Kurosawa's mastery of the cinematic art isshowcased here; not since "The Seven Samurai" has he produced a film of such epic scope and power. Kurosawa's plot borrows liberally from "King Lear," adds the 16th century Japanese legend of Motonari Mori, and incorporates elements from Japanese history, particularly the frequent conflicts between warlords that plagued the country's feudal era. As Hidetori, Nakadai gives a sensational performance; one can see in him the powerful warlord who conquered all in his sight, and his descent into madness is both wrenching and fascinating. Here is a man who is unable to comprehend that the destruction of all he fought for is his own fault; in his ruthless conquests he made innumerable enemies, and the primary lessons he taught his sons are those of violence, greed, and destruction. He ultimately reaps what he has sown, perhaps drowning in his own hubris. Yet Nakadai and Kurosawa let us sympathize a bit with Hidetori; in him we see the possibility of redemption and forgiveness. Indeed, Hidetori's exiled youngest son exemplifies those qualities when he comes looking for his father, not seeking revenge but hoping to relieve him of his madness. Although Hidetori is the principal character, the plot also revolves around Lady Kaede (Mieko Harada), the wife of eldest son Taro. In her we have touches of both Lady MacBeth and Machiko Kyo (from Kurosawa's "Rashomon"), a woman of stunning evil and manipulative subtlety whose desire for revenge (her family was slaughtered by Hidetori) is so consuming that she will do anything to achieve it. When her husband is killed, she immediately turns her attention to Jiro, the middle son. In one of the film's defining moments, she first holds a knife to Jiro's throat...then seduces him on the floor...and soon after, she demands the death of the gentle Lady Sue, Jiro's wife. She manipulates Jiro into rash decisions, knowing that the ultimate result of her actions may be what she seeks: the total destruction of House Ichimonji. Harada's performance is outstanding, both emotionally powerful and charged with subtle eroticism; she's demure and polite one minute, seductive the next. Her ultimate fate is not at all surprising, and perhaps expected. Religion is a central element, embodied in Lady Sue's adherence to the ways of the Buddha in lieu of her desire for revenge...for her family was also murdered by Hidetori. Her devotion to her blind brother and her loyal lady servant is so strong that she risks death to ensure their safety. In terms of direction, Kurosawa once again proves he is one of the genre's legends. We have scenes of both colorful beauty (Kurosawa makes good use of the gorgeous Japanese countryside) and shocking violence. The apocalyptic battle scenes are kinetic, bloody, and extraordinarily well-choreographed. An interesting touch is the use of silence during the battles, a welcome contrast to both traditional action films (whose goal seems to be to make everyone in the world tone-deaf) and the battle segments that do have sound. Each major event in the film is accompanied by changes in the weather, much like "King Lear". Rolling, boiling clouds and sudden winds are frequently used throughout the story. The film's striking use of color and makeup was largely influenced by traditional Noh drama, and much credit must be given to those responsible for costume and production design; rarely has a film had such potent visual elements seamlessly incorporated into its plot and structure. All in all, an epic of incredible proportions, a memorable effort from Japan's master filmmaker. Fans of this may also like Kurosawa's other films, such as "The Seven Samurai," "The Hidden Fortress," (an influence for "Star Wars"), and "Rashomon." The melodramatic miniseries "Shogun" deals with roughly the same time period; for those who like Shakespeare and epic battles, see Kenneth Branagh's masterful "Henry V." "Astounding"Ran is the history of the Shakespeare's King Lear, but here the daughters of Lear are Sons, three samurais. Most of the power of the film besides on the combination of the Isabelline theathre with the Kabuki, the traditional Japanese theater. The movie has an extraordinary rithm, and the tragedy runs for itself. As all the Kurosawa's movies, this talks about the war and the dehumanization of the people. Is a great history, maybe the kurosawa's best.  "Kurosawa blends Buddha into King Lear"Ran is a beautiful, colorful film. Filled with action, battles, drama, intrigue, Kurosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear takes a unique flavor with a serious undercurrent of Buddhism. The message of the film that God is watching as men destroy each other; that God mourns the cruelty is pushed home directly in the final scene as the image of Buddha lies fallen on the ground below one of the old ruler's victims. Emotionally touching, it is a heavy, but enjoyable film. |
