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Ran - Criterion Collection

Rating: - Great film-but some reservations
I believe Kurosawa's Ran is a great film-maybe even a masterpiece; but I also think it makes a lot of demands on those of us who aren't intimately familiar with Japanese culture. Personally, when I started watching Japanese films, it took me a long time to adjust to the manner of speaking. The actors would seem to be shouting or almost screaming at one another at times when the subtitles would seem to be conveying a totally different tone altogether. Ran is no exception, and this is just one of the factors that makes it difficult to form a true estimate of the merits of a film about an alien culture. However, in my opinion, there is no doubt that visually this film is an amazing, artistic spectacle. The version I own is not the Criterion nor the Masterworks, but is probably the first DVD version produced. The tv I watch it on is a ten-year-old 50-inch Toshiba. But I have to tell you that I find the battle scenes breathtaking. The colors are bright and emotion-inducing. I thought the soundtrack was awesome; especially during the battle scenes-the slow, somber, orchestration is like a simultaneous requiem being played for the dying soldiers cut down by arrows and gunfire. The final battle sequence has an intense visual and sonic presentation of apocalypse-the assembled hosts, the waving banners,thunderous pounding of galloping horses, smoke and flames pouring forth from the large castle tower under a dark and menacing sky. All of this may sound like a conventional battle scene, but it seemed to me that Kurosawa succeeded in capturing the nightmarish quality of such a conflict as well as its dramatic spectacle. On a sensual level of sight and sound, I think this film is magnificent. As for the story, it is of course, King Lear, adapted to Japanese culture, and a powerful story it is. The elements of the situation that unfolds and the temperaments of the characters involved produce an extreme range of human emotions: greed, revenge, hate, ambition, loyalty, treachery, pride ,lust. These swirling, roiling urges propel the story along toward an inevitable culmination that seems almost Armageddon-like in its destruction. The final image, far away and isolated, of a lone blinded figure standing on the edge of a cliff under a baleful sky is both symbol and solid evidence of man's folly. In general I thought the acting was very good, but I must raise another point about a possible issue of cultural misunderstanding. At times it seemed to me the actor who portrayed Lord Hidetora, the King Lear counterpart, indulged in overacting bordering on parody. Whenever he was agitated by emotion, he would flail his arms, grimace hideously and scuttle backwards against a wall, boulder , or whatever was at hand. Based on American standards of behavior, these antics seemed grotesquely melodramatic. But perhaps from the Japanese perspective this sort of self-expression is considered natural and expected of someone living the nightmare that befell poor Hidetora. Or, perhaps Kurosawa was injecting some of the stylized traditions of the No plays into his character. All this is only conjecture on my part. I have to assume there was a reason behind it, but I must admit I found it to be jarring at times on what was otherwise a very enjoyable cinema experience.

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Rating: - Ran
I enjoyed watching ran. it was quite different than most American films in a lot of ways. it had an unique combination of humor and drama. I particularly liked the large battle scenes. i think a lot of the epic battle scenes in movies that i like now were heavily influenced by this film. this film has an interesting mix of both American and foreign film styles. The influence of Japanese Noh theater is clearly strong. While some American audiences might be put off by some aspects of the film, i still think it reaches a wide, diverse audience nonetheless.

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Rating: - dvd
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Rating: - A brilliant, moving epic
Kurosawa may be the first world-class Japanese director that most Americans think of, but many Japanese consider him the most Western of their country's great artists. Old prints of his early works list his name in the traditional order: Kurosawa Akira. We, of course, know him as Akira Kurosawa.

RAN is a good example of that cultural balance. Not only is it an adaptation of KING LEAR -- in fact, it may be the best version of LEAR ever put on film -- but it casts the story in the historical context of 16th century feudal Japan and combines a dynamic, deep focus camera and ferocious battle scenes with the mannered performances of Nô theater. It brings together Lord Hidetora, an arrogant, tragic patriarch; Kyoami, Hidetora's wise and loyal fool; and Lady Kaede, that most cunning villain whose scheming brings disaster to them all. This cross-cultural balance probably shouldn't work but it intensifies, I think, the depth of the tragedy.

Parts of RAN, the plotting and back-room deliberations especially, may seem slow. The alternation of still, almost meditative deliberation with sudden action is a rhythm characteristic of the Nô drama. Kurosawa uses it beautifully.

Stephen Prince's audio commentary describes the background of some of the principal actors but concentrates primarily on Kurosawa's use of the camera and on the social and historical context of the story. I suspect that those who find such academic discussions informative will enjoy Prince's superb narrative. This recent Criterion release is nicely mastered with sharp images, vivid colors, and clear subtitles.

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Rating: - Ran
Ran is my favourite Kurosawa film. And thankfully Criterion have made an edition with good transfer and tons of extras. The film is so rich, both visually pleasing and with a moral dimension. Here we follow an elder succesful warrior and clan-leader on a path where he is confronted with dark karma created by his earlier cruel deeds, and the deceitfulness of his nearest allies. The tranquil old age he seeks seems impossible because of the greed and brutality among allies and family members, the same greed and brutality that he himself used to get to the top!