Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Ran’ a Must-See on the Big Screen

Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 19, 2010 - 5:04pm

CHICAGO – Of all the cinematic variations on Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” is one of the few that, dare I say, improves on the Bard’s original blueprint.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Kurosawa’s vision of Lear is not merely that of an aging warlord undone by his own foolishness, but a ruthless warrior haunted by the countless lives he destroyed during his reign. His fate is anything but undeserved, and seems inspired by classic tragedies more Greek than Shakespearian.

“Ran” may be a devastating experience, but it also proves to be an uplifting one for anyone moved by watching a master filmmaker in peak form. It was an extraordinary triumph for the seventy-five-year-old Kurosawa, battling near-blindness in order to see his decade-old dream project through to its completion.

After a series of professional and personal setbacks, the filmmaker was widely considered to be washed-up, and “Ran” did not receive the attention it deserved upon its initial release in 1985. Seen today, the film is still an overwhelming achievement, with an emotional impact to match its stunning scope and grandeur. When the name Kurosawa is mentioned to contemporary movie buffs, the first three titles that come to mind are “Rashomon,” “Seven Samurai” and “Ran.”

”Ran” opened April 16th at the Music Box Theatre, Chicago. Featuring Tatsuya Nakadai, Jinpachi Nezu, Mieko Harada, Daisuke Ryû, Masayuki Yui, Akira Terao, Hisashi Igawa, Yoshiko Miyazaki and Mansai Nomura, directed by Akira Kurosawa. Rated “R”