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Ran - Criterion Collection

Rating: - An Alluring Descent Into Betrayal and Madness
If there is one word I would use to describe "Ran", it would be 'UNFORGETTABLE'. I shall do my best to describe what a powerful impact this film had on me, but as with some of the true classics in cinema, such efforts can be futile.

"Ran", directed by Akira Kurosawa, is a faithful but reimagined telling of Shakespeare's 'King Lear', using feudal Japan as the backdrop. Before I begin, I will give you a brief character list, since I personally have a tendency to confuse foreign-language names when I read reviews:

Lord Hidetora Ichiimonji --- The warlord who intends to give up his power

The Three Sons:
Taro --- oldest, married to Lady Kaede
Jiro --- the middle
Saburo --- the youngest, most loyal and loving of his father

Lady Kaede --- married to Taro, her family & lands were conquered by Hidetora


The opening shots of the beautiful mountains leave the viewer uneasy as the brooding music plays over the credits. Our tension is justified, because we suddenly see Lord Hidetora aim his bow at a hunted boar. His fierce gaze is as intimidating as his precise aim.

The story begins with Lord Hidetora (played by Kurosawa regular Tatsuya Nakadai) announcing to his family & court that he will divide his kingdom among his three sons. Saburo (the youngest) objects, because he believes that the division will lead to jealously and corruption, possibly war. But Hidetora knows no compromise, and bans his youngest from his lands.

It turns out that Saburo was right, as older sons Taro & Jiro begin to plot against each other for the lands. Meanwhile, Hidetora begins to go mad. He has turned away his most loving son. The sons he chose to reward have abandoned him. He is too proud to acknowledge his errors. His jester fails to amuse him during his sorrows. And when the ensuing battles leave Hidetora's castles in ruins, he descends into madness while wandering the lands he conquered. The destruction only deepens his descent.

Sadly, only through more bloodshed and chaos do the lessons and appreciation of life come to the men who survive the story. Only when that which matters most is lost, does life seem precious.

I can't really say if "Ran" is well-cast, because I don't speak Japanese, and I also understand that Kurosawa's dramatic style tends to overexaggerate the dialogue and emotions. In other words, Kurosawa's dramas love to have the characters use grand gestures when a simple facial expression would suffice. However, I think anyone will agree that Tatsuya Nakadai deserves high compliments for his lead role. His body language does the story a great service as he aimlessly wanders his ruined country. His face is weary from battle, and is in a constant trance for most of the picture.

Mieko Harada gives a fascinating performance as Lady Kaede, the woman who has been wronged by the Ichiimonji clan, and yet is bound to them through marriage. In Kurosawa's interpretation of 'King Lear', Kaede is closer to Lady Macbeth. Her role is to be loyal to Taro, but yet she possesses the power, confidence, and manipulative presence he lacks. Kurosawa's films don't often have strong female roles, but Lady Kaede is easily one of the best.

As powerful as "Ran" was for me, I can't say it's perfect. I've long admired Kurosawa's work, but "Ran" has scenes that go on for way too long. There are many scenes where characters just sit and talk, with very little movement. This wouldn't be a problem if the camera had more closeups or cuts, but instead some viewers may become restless during some conversations. The opening banishment of Saburo is one of the toughest to sit through.

In fairness, the unmoving distanced camera fits the story of "Ran". As I learned from Stephen Prince's DVD commentary track, the distanced camera is to imply how the gods of the earth have abandoned the corrupt creatures who inhabit it. I guess the best way to sum this complaint of mine is that Kurosawa's direction fits thematically, but occasionally falters theatrically.

Sometimes Kurosawa demands that we go to his pictures, rather than have them come to us. But when the dark, deceptive web of "Ran" gets spun, it tangles you up and rarely lets go. As these characters plot to control the lands, it becomes a gripping story of despair. There isn't a ton of violence in "Ran", but when it's there, it hits you hard. There is an unforgettable sequence where Hidetora's Castle is raided and burned. It concludes with a mournful music score and no sound effects, and I promise if for nothing else you won't forget it.

My appreciation for "Ran" has been cemented by its unforgettable ending. Simply put, in the hundreds of movies I've watched in lifetime, I don't think one has haunted me and impacted me as much as "Ran" has. I refuse to give it away. If you are patient and willing to descend into this desparate tale, then you will have earned the privilege to see the tragic ending under the blood-red skies.

"Ran" is not a perfect film, but it is exactly the way Akira Kurosawa intended it to be. Every single camera shot & scene --- for better or worse --- fits the dramatic flow of the story. I warn you that this film requires YOU to enter IT, and not the other way around. It will not be fed to you the way you expect. But then again, great art requires our horizons to be challenged. Once you break the boundaries that American movies have cemented in our minds, you experience a sensation that no other film can provide.

"Ran" is a one-of-a-kind experience. Go to it. It will not come to you.

DVD NOTES
---I've read countless reviews that this 2-disc set is the only way to experience "Ran". I haven't seen the other releases, such as the Masterworks disc or the Blu-Ray set. However, I can vouch for this Criterion set's superb quality. The video colorfully & richly maintains the cinematographers' work. I'm no sound expert, but I could hear everything from the most intimate conversations to the most hushed sounds of nature.

The great rewards are in the bonus features. Stephen Prince's commentary was probably my favorite of his tracks for Kurosawa DVDs. Sidney Lumet gives a great introduction on Disc 1, pretty much summarizing how Kurosawa impacted him, and what "Ran" is probably about at its core. Finally, Disc 2 has a 75-minute documentary detailing how "Ran" came into production. Like the other Kurosawa featurettes in the Criterion Collection, this one is a great watch.

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Rating: - The best version available
Kurosawa fans need not be deterred by the negative reviews here - they are over-wrought for the most part and evidence of extreme loyalty to the Criterion Collection. No doubt Criterion has done much to earn the respect and loyalty of cinema fans, but let's not be silly here. For whatever reasons, Criterion lost the rights to this film and the blu-ray is done by Studio Canal. The questions one should ask are: 1. is it the best available? and 2. is there likely to be an improved release in the future. The answers are, yes it is the best available presentation of Ran and no, an improved release is unlikely. Most of the so-called defects appear to be characteristic of the elements used - and may even represent the original look of the film. I saw Ran in the theater, but it was years ago and I could not claim to be able to remember enough to compare the look then to this BD. But others who have seen recent presentations seem to agree that the image on the Studio Canal release more closely approximates the original than that of any previous version. And the most egregious defects are virtually undetectable in a normal viewing situation. So the discussion is academic for the most part - this is the version to get if you want to won this film. Once you get past the chatter, you will find that it is a beautiful transfer of a great and beautiful film. It is not perfect - but it is the best you can get. Enjoy - and after watching for yourself, you will likely wonder how anyone could give this less than a 4 star rating overall.

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Rating: - A Shame
It's a real shame Studio Canal is trying to compete with the Criterion Collection. It would be totally possible if they would put more effort into these releases, but they just don't. This particular title (Ran) has sub par image quality and subtitle issues. I can only imagine how glorious a Criterion release of Ran would have been. Studio Canal FAIL

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Rating: - Not an ideal blu-ray, but undoubtedly the best available version
Yes, it would have been great if Criterion released this blu-ray, fully restored and remastered in all its glory. But this StudioCanal blu-ray does not deserve the wild condemnations it's received. It certainly looks better on my blu-ray player than the Criterion DVD (now out of print). And the most important Criterion extra--Chris Marker's documentary AK, about the making of Ran--is included on StudioCanal's disc too.

I saw the recently remastered print of Ran earlier this year in the theater, and this blu-ray is a fine approximation of what I saw. My hunch is that the problems people have with this transfer are related to original film materials that just may not be in pristine condition, even with the latest remastering. StudioCanal may have compounded the problems with a less-than-consistently-stellar digitalization, but, again, this is the best way to see Ran out of all the existing home video versions. The biggest problem is that some scenes look fantasticly vivid and sharp, while others are soft. But that was true of the print I saw in the theater.

About the film: its power remains undiminished, 25 years later. Harold Bloom once said he thought this film and Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" were the best Shakespeare adaptations on film. An opinion open to debate, to be sure, but he's on to something. Certainly Lear's descent into madness has rarely been as viscerally and shatteringly conveyed. This is late-stage Kurosawa, where the graveness of tone and deliberation of pacing add a layer of richness and depth to the expected visual splendor. And Toru Takemitsu's haunting score (consciously recalling Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, and its intertwining of East-West musical styles) is surely one of the great film scores of all time and adds immeasurably to the film's power.

To sum up: could have been better, but a dramatic improvement is probably not likely until the film gets a proper restoration. Let's be grateful for this perfectly fine blu-ray, especially when attractively discounted by amazon.

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Rating: - The best.....but
I just received my copy of the Studio Canal Ran from Amazon. The first thing I did was AB this version with the Criterion SD DVD. The Sudio Canal blu ray version is absolutely better, hands down. Could it be better? Absolutely! There are definitely problems, ie the whites burst in the outdoor scenes and the grain is inconsistent. But the images are sharper with much more detail. Colors brighter. Just a guess, but the film source probably has limitations, so no matter whom was going to release the blu ray it is probably never going to be reference quality. It is the best version of this film released on any home entertainment format. Until there is something better I will be happy owning the Studio Canal version of this great film.