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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 |
 "The DVD Butchering of a Masterpiece"- I'm not going to sit here and write about the greatness of Kurosawa's RAN - it's pretty clear we're dealing with the lifetime masterwork of one of film's few true geniuses. I want to talk about this "restored" transfer. This butchered DVD presentation. First, the aspect ratio is wrong, as has been mentioned before. It's not wide enough. We're obviously missing image on both sides of the screen. But what bothers me is the color transfer. The colors are indeed more vivid than previous transfers, and the image sharper, but the overall effect has the film looking brittle and highly over-saturated. The contrast ratio is very high. Much of the darker portions of the screen vanish into black. I know there is image there - I've seen it. But, the boneheads who supervised this "restoration" obviously have no clue how to do the job properly. And, to top it off, this print was NOT struck from the original negative, but from a release print! You can tell because the projectionist cue marks (those holes in the upper right of the frame) are on still on this film! So, no original negative, bad transfer (the compression is very bad - lots of artifacts), bad color correction, wrong aspect ratio,.... AND, no extras on the DVD. Take your pick. This is one film everyone who loves movies must own. Yet, where do we go for a decent print? You tell me. -  "WHO WILL ENJOY THIS SENSATIONAL MASTERPIECE:"People who care about grandiloquent visuals yet a controlled palette accentuated by the immemorable use of sound -- or, in one major battle scene, the absence of the sounds of the battle, the horrors of war somehow magnified by the silent screams and the unheard bullets, only the quietly mournful dissonance of the haunting background score to be heard. Castle gates close with resounding, hollow booms, shutting people out, shutting people in. A crescendo of cicadas. And the final anguished shriek of a flute lending a much more effective voice to the great tragedy that has been played out than closing words might have done. If you're expecting flaming Gladiator-type fight scenes or Samurai action, you may be disappointed. That said, the battle scenes are magnum opus if you know how to appreciate visual splendor. The screenplay may be relaxed overall, sure, it takes a while to unfold a tale of filial destruction ("King Lear" adaptation) but when the forts crumble and arrows fly asunder, the pace of the film is unbridled. Whether you're a film philistine or a major Kurosawa buff or simply someone who relishes tastefully done cinema, this is absolutely worth the ride. I highly recommend this as a rental, but the discerning types may also want to add it to their collections. It's among Kurosawa's best. "Highly recommended even with transfer problems."After reading many of the negative reviews on Amazon concerning the DVD transfer of Ran, I expected problems when I watched the DVD on my 32" flat screen TV. The Masterworks Edition is the only version of Ran I have seen and I was not disappointed with the quality of the transfer. Of course, I need to see the film as it was intended to be seen by Kurosawa to fully understand the criticisms of the many experts who have complained about the various tenchical inadequacies of the Masterworks Edition of the film. Additionally, several reviewers have complained about anachronisms such as rifles being used before they were invented. Others suggest that Ran is a poor adaptation of King Lear, the play on which Ran is based. Many anachronisms can be found in Shakespeare's plays. This inaccuracy does not lessen the value of the work. Also, I did not expect to see a perfect adaptation of King Lear. Instead, I was interested in Kurosawa's artistic vision of the classic themes in one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. Ran, like King Lear, is complex and one viewing will not be enough to understand completely what happens in the film. A brief synopsis of the plot follows. An aging Japanese war lord decides to divide up his kingdom among his three sons. His oldest and middle son accept the gift, but the youngest son argues against the old man giving up his power and authority. The youngest son is banished and the two older sons quickly turn against their father and force him to leave his castle to fend for himself by living off the land. The father is astonished by this unhappy turn of events and he goes to war against his sons, losing his entire guard, wife, concubines, and servants. He is left with only a court jester and a faithful retainer to help him survive. Ran, like King Lear, is a tragedy from first to last and my brief sketch only suggests important elements of the plot. Whom can we trust? Certainly not those people who appear to be friends, but have their own interest at heart and who are willing to betray us to further their own interests. Those who disagree with us, often at great risk and personal sacrifice, may be the people we can count on for support in difficult times. The War Lord tries to understand the total disaster that leaves him desolate. His gods do not help him. Like Job, he discovers that it is impossible to understand God's ways to man. Also like Job, he is completely ruined even though he thinks he has done the right thing. Kurosawa is one of the great directors of the 20th Century and Ran is one of his best films. Highly recommented. "See It to Believe It"You have to see it to believe it. This is the Bard's play in 16th Century Japan. Our King Lear carves up the kingdom and it is downhill from there. No sisters in this version, warlike brothers battle for supremacy. The good brother is banished and the old man comes to see the mistake he made and the devastation. I am not going to try to give you all the Japanese names. Understand that the evil witch of a Japanese wife can be the downfall of any warlord. The battle scenes are probably the best ever filmed. The colors of the banners and costumes jump right off the screen. The blood is very red. This canvas is so rich; there are interior scenes that could have been painted by Rembrandt. In the top fifteen films ever made, Ran is Akira Kurosawa?s masterpiece.  "5 Star Film, 2 Star DVD"I am reviewing the Masterworks Edition of Akira Kurosawa's "Ran". First, "Ran" is obviously an epic masterpiece and it is a must own item for any serious collector of world cinema. As a collector, I don't mind paying top prices for an excellent transfer or restoration of a classic film. However, I do mind paying a premium price and receiving a DVD that has the aspect ratio incorrect. The Masterworks Edition costs about the same as many Criterion Collection releases, yet they have delivered a butchered version of the film. In the opening credits, most of the cast and crew's last names have 3 or 4 letters chopped right off the end. In other words, the entire 160 minute movie is presented to the viewer with sections on both sides of the screen sliced off. It is a crying shame to see a film as historically important an "Ran" given such amateur treatment. However, the colour transfer is a vast improvement over the cheaper Fox Lorber DVD of "Ran". But, at least Fox Lorber got the aspect ration correct! So you have two inferior choices of this classic film to currently select from: (1) the cheaper Fox Lorber with the poor colour transfer but correct widescreen presentation or the (2) the more expensive Masterworks edition with excellent colour tranfer but incorrect widescreen presentation. I wish Criterion would get the rights to "Ran" and release a 2 disc edition with proper restoration of the film and plenty of additonal features - "Ran" deserves to be treated with respect and Criterion wouldn't mess the job up like Fox Lorber or Masterworks. |
