Ran

Why I love RANI don't identify with any of the characters in the film, save maybe a bit with Saburo the blue clad brother of the three brother characters in this film. There is aboslutely no one in here who is worth much sympathy.What this film is to me is a kind of anthropological analysis. No matter how far mankind reaches for social perfection to create an order with his fellow simians, no matter how aesthetically pleasing it may appear, no matter how majestic or how much grandeur there is in presentation, mankind must contend with the fact that he is just another species on this planet, and no matter how much cranial energy he puts into his efforts, he still has to fight with himself and his fellow homo-sapien-sapien because of all of his shortcomings.I'm reminded of the gorillas who pound, slap or clap their chests in a display of dominance. Or the rams or other horned beasts that butt heads with one another to compete for the right to mate. It is all about survival. Reptiles have some pretty basic programming; hunt to eat, establish territory, and then take a mate. But they do so without regards to what other reptiles think. Mammals on the other hand, give some consideration to other creatures. Not always, but far more often than reptiles, for reptiles only have basic programming; beat the other guy. Sometimes mammals lack anything more than reptilian thinking, or, worse yet, recognize the way of the reptile, and use it to overcome their fellow mammal.And that's kind of what we have in RAN. And when the main character is shown all that he has done, all the blood he has shed, all the destruction, all or the pain and misery, what does he do?The film's tale is rendered with supreme artistry. A kind of mastery that can only come from the grand-master of film making himself; Akira Kurosawa. Nearly each shot or sequence of shots is a painting. No surprise since Kurosawa trained as a painter in both classic Japanese and European oil disciplines. The lensing, the shot setup (what film historians, isntructors, and snobs call mis-en-scene) or composition, the pacing of the film done in Kurosawa's classic somewhat static style, and the use of color and natural landscape and historical sites, create a visual feast of a movie that, in my personal and not so humble opinion, cannot be paralleled.This is a bleak and dark tale. It is a tragedy. It is, in a very detached and immediate sense, like our own universe. Things in nature, rivers, rocks, sand, wind, the tides, and things beyond our planet, other worlds, other suns, gas and the like, are cold and impersonal. Living creatures struggle to live and thrive in these environments. They prey on other creatures, sometimes their own, and when they get too old or diseased to live, they become prey themselves.RAN has that vibe going for it. We codify it, we try to make sense of it, we create science and art around it, but when it comes right down to it, we sometimes find our fellow man still fraught with faults and shortcomings that bewilder us. For as they strive to out compete the rest of us, and may achieve and amass great wealth and notoriety, they then falter, and in their falling create great social chaos.They create RAN.The jealousies of the guy without a girlfriend who is jealous of the guy with a very attractive girlfriend. Of the poor man jealous of the wealthy man. When such envy goes beyond mere confrontation, and manifests itself in politcal maneuvering and martial efforts by fielding infantry, archers and cavalry, blood is shed. Misery is cast upon all. Violent blood fury passions butcher people and civilization alike. Pain. Constant pain. When jealousies get that old, they become spiteful, and war is waged.But again, on that same level, we can regard it perhaps both as a personal reflection on our fellow man, and instruction to us as a species of the pitfalls of false pride, of celebrating the destruction of one's fellow man, and such revelry and expectancy of reverence can lead to revenge from the most innocuous of sources, with the power to destroy empires.How can we celebrate the destroyer of men who expects love? Or should we have pity on him and understand that he is a reflection of our more base nature? In essence, we are "the gods" looking in on this Greek tragedy. We are reminded that even though we can achieve great things relative to ourselves and those of our fellow species who also reside on this planet, that still have faults. And perhaps more complex faults by our very abilities, than say those of any creature living in the woods, the sea, deserts or forests of this world.In this way it is a kind of reminder of what it means to be a Stewart of ourselves, and guardian of our fellow human, lest RAN be visited upon us.Or, in Kurosawa's own words, why can't people be happy? Or to paraphrase Toshiro Mifune's character from Yojimbo, a long boring life with porridge is best.And that is why I like RAN. That is why this is a masterpiece of cinema. This is why Kurosawa will always be the grand-master of cinematic arts and sciences.4K UHD review update;So, there's more detail in the 4k release. The image doesn't bounce around from side to side as per previous video releases. The translation is more in sync with the original translation that came with the initial VHS home video release.But, in the end what we're looking at is a criminal scenario, or a worse case scenario. The original Shakespeare play had Lear's daughters coaxing and cajoling men into military adventurism, whereas Kurosawa merely removes the middle "man" (women) and lets the man have at it.This film is aimed at the well to do and educated might-be criminal who is weighing in their minds if they could "get away with murder" for monetary gain. Hence a lot of money dumped into sets, props and so forth. "Why can't people be happy?" says Kurosawa. This film doesn't answer that, but gives a stern warning that money can't buy you happiness. Nor can killing your family and taking what they have.

𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒂: 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕...𝑲𝒚𝒐𝒂𝒎𝒊: 𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.Ran (乱, transl. "chaos" or "turmoil") is a 1985 epic action drama film directed, edited and co-written by Akira Kurosawa.At the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to abdicate and divide his domain amongst his three sons. Taro (Akira Terao), the eldest, will rule. Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu), his second son, and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu) will take command of the Second and Third Castles but are expected to obey and support their elder brother. Saburo defies the pledge of obedience, and is subsequently banished.For all that it is worth, 𝑹𝒂𝒏 was not originally intended as an homage to 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓, with the influence of Mōri Motonari contextualizing the divergence from Shakespeare’s source material.During the 16th century Motonari was a feudal lord in the Western region of Japan, who began as a smaller warlord of Aki Province. Head of the Mōri clan during a period of constant civil unrest, Motonari earned a reputation as a master strategist, with war, marriage, and a strong sense of diplomacy aiding in his eventual control of the entire Chugoku region.In what would become the opening scene of ‘𝑹𝒂𝒏’, ‘the legend of the three arrows’ is postulated as resulting from a lecture Motonari gave his 3 sons with the intent of encouraging them to work together for the benefit of their entire family. Curious as to what purpose this lesson may serve if as a precedence to turpitude, Kurosawa began writing 𝑹𝒂𝒏, with its parallels to 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓 being discovered and having an impact on the script well into the pre-production process having alrighty began.Not one to skimp on opportunities for authenticity, much of 𝑹𝒂𝒏’s grandeur in terms of set-design and aesthetics goes largely without saying, with a hand-tailored collection of over 1,400 uniforms and armor (that took over 2 years to complete) and the scenery of Mount Aso (Japan’s largest active volcano) in combination with historical landmarks in both Kumamoto and Himeji providing a grand sweep of beauty amongst the thematic presence of disaster.(A bit of a #Funfact, and one that speaks to his presence as a visual director, by the time he had made 𝑹𝒂𝒏 Kurosawa had lost nearly all of his eyesight. For approximately seven years before filming began he had painted storyboards for every shot in the film)A merging of sorts - as many of Kurosawa’s films have proven to be - 𝑹𝒂𝒏 illustrated a stentorian understanding of 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓’s conflicting principles, with interludes of exposition serving as an extensively contractual submersion of unexpected empathy. Hidetora - deservedly described as vicious, domineering, and brewing with entitlement - could be surmised as upholding a tradition of cruelty and exploitation: with the forced and imposed influence of isolation suggesting the destructive nature of egotistical mortification, nihilistic self-awareness, and communal restitution. Despite subtle and transient attempts at bolstering optimism amongst chaos, 𝑹𝒂𝒏 concludes with the suggestion that the human condition is such that hostility is preferable to peace, with the final shot oscillating on the metaphorical quiver of generosity and injustice.The real tragedy, perhaps, is in how much of 𝑹𝒂𝒏 can be speculated as an allegorical representation of Kurosawa’s professional career. After a few decades of significant success and marked acclaim, the last two decades in which he made films were riddled with a periphery of hardships; unable to secure substantial financial backing for his projects, an episode in which he was fired from the set of 20th Century Fox’s 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒂! 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒂! 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒂! in 1968 and the poor reception 𝑫𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒔'𝒌𝒂-𝒅𝒆𝒏 (1970) contributed to a suicide attempt made by Kurosawa in 1971.With 𝑹𝒂𝒏 being one of a handful of attempt at jump-starting his career, the precedence of his death would resemble that of the Great Lord Hidetora: some affirmations of success and notoriety tarnished by a plague of disappointment, retrospective uncertainty, and the inescapability of death.Circumstellar as opposed to replicative, 𝑹𝒂𝒏 succeeds as a quintessentially accessible (and not to mention, exciting) introduction to the intrigue of 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓, with Kurosawa’s style excavating the universality of its appeal. Firm, and yet analytically malleable, the subtext echoes the consistency of a could-be jello salad: transparent, and yet, still chock full of surprises.

That the movie is a masterpiece is unquestionable . However the picture quality on 4K is more like a poor bluray . On my 4k 85inch Sony screen , from the first images it shows unsharpness. The colors are ok , same for the sound , but that poor sharpness which I can at best compare with a VHS tape on a 32inch screen is about correct.If you want this , watch it on a very small screen and hope that one day in our life , someone will finally do justice to this movie.

Diese Rezension bezieht sich nicht auf den Film oder die technische Ausstattung der Blu Ray.Die Bewertung mit einem Stern bezieht sich einzig und allein auf die extrem mangelhaften Produktbeschreibungen und Abbildungen seitens von Amazon und dem dadurch entstandenen Ärger, vor dem ich andere Käufer bewahren möchte.Wer hier auf Kaufen klickt und denkt, er würde die schöne Edition im PAPPSCHUBER erhalten (so wie man durch sämtliche Produktbilder vermittelt bekommt), irrt! Man erhält eine Neuauflage OHNE den Pappschuber! Dabei wird der Artikel eindeutig schon im Titel als [Special Edition] beworben und in der Produktbeschreibung steht: Sonderausgabe!Ich habe den Artikel bereits vor Wochen mehrfach retourniert und IMMER nur die schlechtere Edition erhalten. Ich bin Sammler und mich stört das massiv! Vom Mehraufwand durch ständige Botengänge zur Postfiliale oder der Enttäuschung den bestellten Artikel nicht einmal auspacken zu können ganz abgesehen...Bereits vor Wochen hat man mir seitens des Kundendienstes versichert, man würde die Artikelbeschreibung anpassen. Das ist bis heute nicht passiert und so werden weiterhin Kunden getäuscht!Leider ist das bei weitem KEIN EINZELFALL! Betroffen sind hier fast alle Erstauflage mit Pappschuber, O- Card etc. von studiocanal, Koch Media, Schröder Media und vielen mehr - wahrscheinlich von ALLEN Labels, die schlechter ausgestattete Neuauflagen herstellen.Überlegt euch gut, ob ihr nicht lieber wieder klassisch im Laden kauft, wo ihr die tatsächliche Ware begutachten könnt, anstatt sich hier von Amazon die Katze im Sack andrehen zu lassen!Falls es euch vielleicht nicht wichtig ist, welche Edition ihr erhaltet... beschweren kann man sich trotzdem. Nur so kann man Amazon aufzeigen, dass man sich als Kunde nicht alles bieten lassen muss!

I noted some other reviews about the quality of the Blue Ray, but decided as I have heard so much about this film I had to purchase it anyway, and I'm not disappointed in any way.Kurosawa's final epic film is just a master class , a truly incredible piece of cinema. The opening shots of the horsemen, with a huge landscape behind them, clue's you into what the director is trying to achieve in making a version of King Lear. This play is regarded as a tour de force in theatre and one which only experienced actors attempt, so Kurosawa was making a brave choice in making this film, which was his last.He made an incredible version of Macbeth in 'Throne of Blood', itself regarded at the time as the best film to capture Shakespeare. Amazingly, I would argue that Kurosawa managed to better himself.Its majestic, in its cinematography, characterisation, even changing Lear's daughters into Son's, but still retaining the plays essential story of the corruption of power and its destructive effect on a dynasty. The battle scenes are almost beautiful to watch, Kurosawa obviously using Japanese paintings from the period as an inspiration.I judge how good a film on how it keeps me enthralled, and I can say that RAN did that easily. In fact I watched the whole thing, never moving from my seat once. Its a magnificent film, a true classic of cinema from any country and equal to any of the great directors such as Kubrick or Lean. Kurosawa manages to take one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays and makes it easily accessible, which is helped by his choice of an excellent cast.Its a film that is still resonating in my mind and I watched it two weeks ago. If you are a true film lover, RAN has to be in your collection, its an incredible swan song, from a director even in his own lifetime, was a huge influence on so many others.

I saw this when it was released and have wanted to own it ever since. This is Kurosawa's great late masterpiece, a summing up of the themes in his entire oeuvre - war, power, self destruction, history - in an unforgettable retelling of Lear, but with deep references to Japanese culture. I watched this with my son (12), both in a state of utter fascination at the panorama of life and death in this long film. (He was full of questions!) It was an utter delight.***spoiler alert*** I assume the reader knows the story already.The story takes place in the 16C or so, a time of upheaval and disorder worldwide. An old war lord has spent his life ruthlessly crushing enemies nearby, stopping at nothing in his striving to dominate. Perhaps as a result of his deteriorating mind, perhaps out of guilt at the terrible things he has done, he makes a catastrophically stupid decision - to divide the power of his armies between his sons in order to retire. Only one son opposes this course of action, which his father finds violently offensive. The son is banished, along with a faithful aide.Almost immediately, the two remaining sons begin to flex their muscles, first by humiliating their father - denying him access to their castles with his reduced entourage - and then by besieging him. This is one of the most horribly graphic war scenes I have ever seen, hiding nothing of the blood and meaningless deaths. The father begins to lose his mind, paralyzed in despair and appearing like a popular demon with his ashen face. Once his forces are annihilated and his concubines have committed suicide, he stumbles out of the burning palace. Having been rejoined by the faithful servant and the eunuch court jester, the only refuge he finds is in a filthy shack that houses a boy he blinded years before. This is just one of the past crimes that revisits the war lord, who sees the irony through his psychotic despair.As soon as the sons are rid of him, they turn on eachother. Here, there is a scheming wife, whose family we learn was murdered by war lord soon after his son married her for the purposes of alliance. She is a Shakespearean character, waiting years for revenge and then executing it at exactly the right time to perfection. She sows destruction on an unimaginable scale. As the war lord his last son, the faithful one, the tragedy is complete.This is one of the best films I have ever seen, by far the most intense war film. Its psychology is also realistic, with the self-destructive decision of a father full of guilt. Recommended with the greatest enthusiasm.

This is an excellent film, with an impressive scenario and extraordinary visual aspects. Below, more of my impressions with some SPOILERS.PRECISION: this is the review of double disc special edition DVD from 2006. I found the technical quality of image and sound satisfying - but as I don't own any other versions, I can not compare it with Blu-ray, etc. Therefore this is just a review of the film itself.In 1957 Kurosawa surprised and impressed the whole world with "Throne of Blood", an extraordinary adaptation of "Macbeth" transposed to feudal Japan. In 1985, for what was to be his last major film, he recidived, this time with "King Lear". But with the progress of technology this time he was able to produce not only a great tragedy but also a great show!The story is initially quite similar with that of "King Lear". The main character's name is Lord Hidetora, the head of clan Ichimonji. He is played by the great Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai. Hidetora was born as first son of a samurai lord who owned a little castle. From the age of 17 he fought many wars and he finally conquered a large domain, controlled by three powerful fortresses. But Hidetora is now aged 70 and he is weary of wars - therefore he decides to abdicate in favor if his oldest son, Taro Takatora Ichimonji.Taro will therefore become the leader of the clan and master of the First Castle. His younger brothers, Jiro Masatora Ichimonji and Saburo Naotora Ichimonji, will support him as masters respectively of Second and Third castles. Hidetora will keep 30 samurai as his escort and the honorific title of Great Lord - he will reside successively with his sons. Hidetora orders his sons to always remain united against all adversities. Two neigboring daimyos, Nobuhiro Fujimaki and Seiji Ayabe, are witnesses of this arrangement.But the youngest brother, Saburo, as well as one of main retainers, Tango Hirayama, both object and ask Hidetora to reconsider and stay in power. Enraged by the rude language and defiance of his son, the old leader banishes them both. That covers about 15 first minutes and from there the story really begins...It is hardly a spoiler to say that the story is a horrible tragedy - after all, it is a piece of Shakespeare transposed in the world of the samurai and directed by Kurosawa... But, unlike some "professional" critics, I absolutely don't consider this film as nihilistic! Withour revealing too much, I think that here the main message is the punishment for sins: the greater is the sin, the most terrifying is the punishment. And as we will quickly learn, old Hidetora and his vassals accumulated quite a lot of deadly sins in the last 50 years...The heavenly retribution against the Ichimonji clan will come mostly through the iron will and determination of an exceptional woman, Lady Kaede, played impressively by Mieko Harada... Indeed, it could be said in this case, "hell hath no fury as a woman wronged..." Many reviewers considered her character as "evil" and that certainly is one way to see the things - but what I saw was first and before anything else a woman hurt and harmed as cruelly as it is possible, who with patience, intelligence and absolute determination will avenge her loved ones by bringing ruin to all her enemies in such a comprehensive way, that they will not only be destroyed in this world but also damned in the next one! And honestly, once I realised all the evil crimes the Ichimonji clan perpetrated in 50 years, her revenge is also a case of justice served! In this point Kurosawa changed very significantly the whole sense of the story, because in the original Shakespeare piece King Lear is mostly an innocent wronged - well, here it is NOT the case...Two other impressive characters are Hidetora's fool, played by Japanese actor and dancer Peter and Shuri Kurogane, the most capable of Ichinoji clan retainers - a ruthless, brutal and cunning character, but not devoided of at least some human feelings. On the other hand, Saburo, the third son of Hidetora, who as equivalent of Cordelia character is supposedly "the good guy", well, notwithstanding his devotion to his father, I didn't care much for him, considering that by his sheer stupidity he kept making bad things worse...Another messages of this film are basically the repetition of some well known truths:- there is no fool as an old fool- quem Deus vult perdere, dementat prius- pride is the greatest and WORST of all deadly sins- anger is a bad advisor- most men can think only with what they have between legs - not with what they have inside their skulls...- when you are on the run, RUN! Even if you are Bruce Willis, DON'T come back to your place for your dad's watch - because Vincent Vega will not stay in this toilet forever...- when travelling through hostile lands with your soldiers, NEVER forget to send a vanguard, even if it is only one guy; it REALLY helps...The samurai battles in "Ran" are absolutely impressive, even if you should not expect too much realism about tactics - in many scenes there is a lot people running around absolutely nowhere and doing nothing useful. In fact Kurosawa used samurai armies as impressionists used colors and shapes - taken separately and looked upon closely the picture seems to be chaotic. Seen from a certain distance and as a whole, the effect is much, much more interesting.Bottom line, this is an excellent film, a masterpiece, providing both a matter for reflection and a feast for eyes. I loved it when I saw it in cinema long time ago and it was a delight to re-discover it again. To buy, watch and keep. Enjoy!