Ran

Rating:
Summary: Finally, an edition that looks like it should
Review: So much has been written about this film and its' importance I am going to pass over reviewing the movie and say that we all know it is one of the best films ever.
Most previous releases of this film are just terrible. They have ghosting, color smearing, loss of detail, etc. until they are just about unwatchable. This edition looks great! I have that sickeningly expensive limited edition set from last year and I would have to say that this is at least as good a print and perhaps better. This is a great buy!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This movie has a mythological aspect to it, which I suppose comes from the experiences of the Great Lord Hidetora wandering the volcanic countryside in his varying levels of madness. This to me is the main part of the story, while in the background the destruction wrought by Taro's former wife brings down everything that Hidetora had built. This shows how quickly an empire built upon the bodies of one's enemies can come crashing down, especially if you leave vengeful people alive. Hidetora's early ruthlessness as a conquering Daiymo comes back to haunt him at every turn, now that he has been abandoned by most of his sons and peers. (Which Hidetora set in motion himself by relinquishing power to his eldest son) It is only the honest love of his youngest son Saburo that brings Hidetora back from madness, and even this is temporary, as once again his legacy of blood comes back to seek final revenge in the form of an assasin's bullet that kills Saburo. Hidetora then dies of a heart attack caused by the ultimate suffering he has endured for weeks without end. It is perhaps a deserved fate for Hidetora, but Saburo is the real tragic figure here, having done nothing but honor his father even when shunned by him early in the story.

The film itself shows excellent and breathtaking examples of the Senkogu(sp?) period of war in Japan, with castle assaults and a small field-battle towards the end of the film. (curiously absent is the lack of actual sword-to-spear combat scenes, most depicted combat in the film involves arquebus troops and cavalry) The costumes and sets are excellent, no cgi here, just live actors in suits of armor and hundreds of horses. My only major complaint is the rather obvious 'red' of the fake blood used for the battle scenes, and the way it was splashed onto the bodies depicted throughout the film, which wasn't a very good attempt on the part of the film crew to be realistic. It's the story that matters in this film though.

I have not seen the Masterworks edition, but the standard DVD has a slightly poor picture quality for a film from the 80's, with some color issues (faded coloring). Hopefully the Masterworks edition is of better quality, but my gripes are only minor and the standard DVD is satisfying enough.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie by one of the greatest...
Review: ...story tellers, yes if there was one movie director who accepted his job as a mare story teller instead of a "movie director", it is the grand old man of the east, Akira Kurosawa.

Kurosawa is a story teller, painter, musician, statesman, and a warrior... So, when you're watching "Ran" every still shot moving shot and close-up could be a painting on its on right, the sound--from battles to the haunting flute conveys the nihilistic message of the film... and Kurosawa tells you the story of politics, and he depicts battles like no-one else ever comes close to...

"Ran" is not an artsy film, nor it is a mindless Hollywood action movie, and off course it is not an "over-done Shakespeare" as well. Watch this movie with an open mind, and remember that a grand old man is telling you a story.

This is all I can say about Akira Kurosawa and his last epic "Ran"... a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Ran out
Review: Kurosawa commanded his still formidable cinematic powers like weather patterns coalescing into a full blown hurricane. Visually, Kurosawa achieves wonders. Dramatically, however, the core story of Hidetora amounts to only a drizzle. With mouth agape and face painted white, Tasuya Nakadai--usually a great actor--meanders around like he took some bad acid.
And, that jester kid... someone kill him!
Kurosawa tried a bit too hard to sum up his career, to make this his final statement on art, history, humanity, philosophy, etc. but the movie's too detached to convey any deep meaning. However, as tragic pageantry it's colorful and impressive. The centerpiece of the movie is the attack on the third castle. It's perhaps Kurosawa's vision of the Cold War, two armies ostensibly fighting the outnumbered retainers of Hidentora but in reality eyeing the other cautiously to gain the ultimate prize.

Rating:
Summary: Refers to the "Masterworks" Edition
Review: RAN is a masterpiece of a film and this review is not about the quality of the movie but about the quality of this DVD. If you play this DVD on a 32" non-widescreen TV the picture will look passable as a "letterboxed" film, but be sure to rent and try this edition out on your 50" or 55" or 65" wide-screen TV before buying! The first problem is that the anamorphic picture cuts off the edges of the credits (a clue that you're not getting all of the frame). Even more disturbing is that the image has an electronic "video" cast to it. Unlike good DVD transfers, there is twitching to still objects on-screen like lattice or anything with parallel lines. The colors are bright but lacking definition (they give off an aura) and again have an electronic cast that looks more like video than film. Overall this transfer is deplorable, and the fact that Wellspring is proud of this "hi-def" transfer is shocking.

As someone who owns over 300 movies on DVD and has seen the full range of quality from early full-screen knock-offs like National Lampoon's VACATION to fantastic DVD's like the LOTR editions and X-MEN, I know what the standard is for a special version of a DVD in November 2003, and this disc does not cut it. Wellspring . . . get your act together.

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular
Review: This film was the last of Kurosawa's great epics. It is loosely based on King Lear but with Kurosawa's own plot twists and injections of Japanese culture including Noh influences. The story basically revolves around the treachery of 2 of the Great Lord's sons after they are bequeathed his power and the rejection and final redemption of the son the Great Lord initially banishes. Although, the film is 2 and half hours long, it does not get boring. The acting is phenomenal, the battle scenes are spectacular, and the cinematography is breathtaking. The kind of filmmaking that Ran represents is virtually extinct. Movies no longer use thousands of extras and hundreds of real horses and can no longer convey the realism of movies like Ran. Fortunately for us, Ran is beautifully restored as you can see in the Restoration Demo under the special features. The commentary by Stephen Prince without a doubt establishes the 5-star rating for this DVD. He analyzes the film constantly from beginning to end pointing out salient features of Kurosawa's style and making sure we understand everything relevant to Kurosawa's direction of Ran. The second commentary by Peter Grilli is not quite as interesting unfortunately.

Despite the absence of the incredible Toshiro Mifune, I highly recommend this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Bloody Wonderful Film! Literally!
Review: As I'm studying for a Ph.D and hoping to specialize in Renaisance English drama, it seemed a good idea to see this film, Kirosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear to feudal Japan. And I am very glad I did!

Kirosawa's tale may actually improve upon some of the things Shakespeare did in some cases. We're given a good view of what "Lear" was like in his youth through ruins and the fact that his two older sons are both married to women who's families he conquered and slaughtered. The Fool, a mainstay of the Shakespearean tale, is given a scene that shows the pathos of the man. Lamenting that he's spent his whole life being nurse/entertainer to Lord Hidetora, the audience can see why he'd want to pack up and run away. And yet he stays (more than you can say for Shakespeare's Fool, who just disappears at one point and is never seen again). Kirosawa also answers the question of what happened to Lear's knights for his film. Hidetora's retainers still follow him, they don't just disappear, and it's their fate the fact it is caused by Hidetora's two older sons, Jiro and Toru, that ultimately drive him to extreme madness.

What Kirosawa adds also makes for a much nastier ending. Lady Kaede outscores all the Bard of Avon's shrews and masculine women as a manipulative demon. Without her influence, perhaps her husband Toru wouldn't have decided to humiliate his father, and most certainly younger brother Jiro wouldn't have goen to war. That she's punished for her actions is a certainty...that she was still successful adds an awful dimension to the film. Compared to her opposite number, the dutiful Buddhist Lady Sue, we can see the world of Ran is one that rewards treachery and force, while the quiet contemplative life won't get you anywhere. Hidetora's end was caused by his actions in life, and just as he's starting to finally come to terms with the man he was, the culture he lives in, and the events around him, it is far too late and all we're left with is a blind man almost stumbling off a castle wall.

Rating:
Summary: Ran will outlast the naysayers
Review: While reading the angry rant from the gentleman from Johannesburg, a question crossed my mind: Dear reviewer, when stating your case, is it asking too much that you get the most simple facts straight, or are you so consumed with unhinged vitriol that making assertions that are truthful is utterly beyond your capacity? Just wondering.

You state - with some angry, seething "ALL-CAPS" thrown in - that Kurosawa's films were unpopular and "despised" in his home country. It fascinates me that a person would publicly embarrass themself by getting things so wrong. Where to start? 1952's "Ikiru" was such a huge popular success that it gave Kurosawa the clout to complete "Seven Samurai" - which ran over-schedule and over-budget - where it subsequently was a phenomenal box-office hit. Other huge popular successes included "The Hidden Fortress," "Yojimbo," and "Red Beard." In 1979, a group of Japanese critics and artists voted "Seven Samurai" the all-time greatest Japanese film, with over twice the votes of the runner-up, "Tokyo Story" (a fine, heartfelt film in its own right).

Regarding Ran, the film is an epic, visionary masterwork that stands as a fitting culmination of Kurosawa's career. Although intelligent, well-reasoned dissenting opinions certainly exist, I'm afraid that such thunderous, fulminating hatred of the late Kurosawa such as appears on this page is not only misguided, but will take years off of one's lifespan.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most powerful movies I have seen
Review: When I first saw Ran, it had a huge affect on me emotionally. I don't think any other film has left me with such feeling as this has. The characters, the cinematography, the use of colors, and just in general every thing that has made Kurosawa one of the greatest film makers to ever set foot on this earth.

Scenes from this film will stick in your mind forever. The massacre of the lord's samurai (that music still haunts me like a ghost from the past) and his walk down the steps with the armies of gold and red departing aside like a river itself, the scenes of the countryside, the old fortress, and finally the classic Kurosawa "metaphor ending."

In fact, I would go so far as to say that I like this film better than I do Shakespeare's "King Lear." (but that's my own personal opinion)

This is a wonderful classic in Japanese film history, and (despite the review of the individual below, who must be an anti-scholar) shall remain so as long as the world turns. Kurosawa has left many precious gems for the next generations to admire.

Rating:
Summary: The transfer is not that bad....ITS the FILM that SUCKS
Review: Some people should really stop knitpicking. Get a life, really. All this moping about the destruction and disregard for Kurosawa's unfailing and precise "vision" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean). We even get a technical expert (sounds like mumbo jumbo to me, buddy boy) further doen the page explaining to us what went wrong. Thanks for the two cents, bro.

The man's films aren't that wonderful.... there's nothing too terribly Japanese about them (except for the uneassy superimposition the traditional lore, pomp and pageantry). Also: no American director would get away with filming only battles and their contexts. It's no surprise that vacuous 'thrill' artists like John Sturges and George Lucas used K's films as 'inspiration' for their empty Hollywood confections. There' just nothing else there. Would it surprise you to know that his films were despised and UNPOPULAR in JAPAN (!!). Patently overrated. That's how Kurosawa's unfathomable influence started, with a bunch of pseudo-art conscious Americans in the fifties confusing 'exoticism' with blatent and planned pandering to American tastes.

Watch Ozu's "Tokyo Story" out on Criterion (at least we won't have too much moaning about THAT transfer, he?). Stop wasting your money on Kurosawa's one-note junk.