Ran

Rating:
Summary: Highs and Lows
Review: Although this film was filled with accurate renditions of Ancient Feudalistic Japan, it was at times sporatic and VERY lengthy! The fight scenes where well done, especially the seiges. However, if the viewer has not an inkling of the guidelines Samurai lived and ultimately died by, they'd be utterly lost.

This film was lacking something the entire way...I found myself wishing the Great Lord would just find a sharp rock or anything to commit sepikku!

Rating:
Summary: CHAOS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
Review: This is one of those films that I HAVE to see once a year or two. Basically, Ran (translates into Chaos) is the Japanese version of Shakespeare's King Lear. Never read King Lear? Don't worry, I haven't either and I still love this film. I'll admit that this movie can be slow at times, but the rest of the movie makes up for that. ESPECIALLY the two battle scenes. The first one is really good because it is SILENT. Your ears don't hear the sounds of swords clashing, arrows whizzing, people screaming, etc; but your mind hears. There is, however, music playing during that battle and it conforms so PERFECTLY with the battle. Then, best of all, is how Kurosawa BREAKS the silence. Between battles, some of the interesting characters are this silly little man who tries to cheer up his elderly liege and, finally, a woman who will draw a knife on you one second and try and make love to you the next. Then there's a part about a fox-head that was really funny. The last battle utilizes muskets more than swords, but it's still good. Oh, then there's the beheading. No, you don't see the head fall off, but you do see the wall get wet with blood. It's the graphic parts like this that make it rated R. If you've never seen a Kurosawa movie, this is a good place to start. Also try Sanjuro, Yojimbo, and The Seven Samurai by the same director. Just about all of his movies are officially 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely a breathtaking spectacle
Review: I'm not very familiar with "King Lear", much less Shakespeare but Akira Kurosawa did a magnificant, if not brilliant take on a Shakespeare classic. Despite my lack of knowledge behind "King Lear" I was deeply moved by the main theme of this movie which was loyalty. Even blood relatives could turn on each other. Based on what little I know of Kurosawa, he was big on the theme of loyalty and the importance of it. The scenery in the opening of the movie was stunning. The battle scenes were brutal yet at the same time the viewer cannot help but be in awe of the director's ability to capture the reality of war. Simply stunning to say the very least. I think the slight problems I had with this movie was that some of the scenes tended to lingered on and seemed repetitive, particularly the scenes with the father who had gone mad from the trauma of death and rejection. Fitting for someone who banished his youngest son for speaking the truth I suppose. The young companion whose sole purpose in the movie was as a court jester kind of got on my nerves too but he was young and impetuous. Asides from those flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Definitely a classic epic brought to you by the late and great Akira Kurosawa.

Rating:
Summary: Oustanding spectacle
Review: I was skeptical before viewing this movie, doubting if Shakespeare's "King Lear" could be told effectively in the Japanese rendition. I am pleasantly surprised by the outcome & now starting to appreciate & respect why many of Akira Kurosawa's works are declared as silver screen masterpieces. The spectacle is superb, probably on-par with Ben Hur, Gladiator, Braveheart. Considering that this movie was made in 1985, Akira's achievement is hard to fault. Many movies these days are drowned by special effects overkill but "Ran" has a soul. Towards the end, I couldn't help but overwhelmed by this fastidiously directed movie, by none other than Akira Kurosawa. I'm converted, indeed. Highly recommended & a must-have collector's piece.

Rating:
Summary: God damn MAN THIS IS A FINE FLIck
Review: TO be honest Im no MOvie BUff so Ill keap IT simple. ThIs movie is visually stunning. Intellegnt AND KEaps IT REaL wItH plenty of action intrigue and BY far some OF the MOSt Incredable actin I myself have ever seen as well as a candid comentary on the world of japan in its Time WITH a CraZy William SHakesPEar THeMe. If U LOve shakspear SAMuris and Good action and Multi layers of plots that tie in AND R WICKEd Cool TEHN ILL teLL U THE SCene BUY this flICk

Rating:
Summary: This is part of history and is one of the greatest films
Review: When I first watched this movie I had some mixed feeling because of how violent and depressing this movie was. After a second viewing which almost didn't happen, I then knew this movie was a masterpiece. The acting was superb and more realistic than anything I can even imagine and the battles were done rather well. A few other things that bothered me was the blood which seemed very unrealistic at times and seemed kind of orangy at times. One other thing I didn't understand was towards the end of the movie the soliders were [taking bullets and got knocked] off their horses and they seemed to be getting back up and none of the horses seemed to [have taken any bullets]. Other than these minor problems this movie is great and if you in with an open mind you should be okay and you might be depressed for awhile after the movie. Great movie and it is on my top 10 list of all time movies.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre transfer cannot dull masterpiece
Review: RAN is one of the few films that, should a global disaster strike Earth, deserves to be put in a time capsule for future generations to find after they climb from the rubble to rebuild everything.

Based loosely on Shakespeare's King Lear (with more than a passing nod to Macbeth), RAN proves the paradox that the more culturally specific a work of art, the more universal are its themes. In 16th-century Japan, old Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) is nearing the end of his life, and so decides to essentially split his kingdom among his three sons, under the command of his eldest. His youngest son, Saburo (Ryu Daisuke), counsels strongly against it; he knows the motives of his brothers all too well. But Hidetora, in his hubris, believes himself the wiser. He disowns Saburo - the only one of his sons who truly has his best interest at heart - and lives to regret it.

For Western audiences especially, the very "foreign-ness" of RAN throws its bitter meditation on human nature into sharp relief. Like the best works of art, RAN's strong, elegant, simple design expresses both great aesthetic beauty and Spartan functionality. Not a moment is wasted; not a single composition haphazard or thoughtless. Watching it is a bit like falling into a profound dream.

RAN really deserves the THX treatment, and given the respect that Kurosawa's work commands among filmmakers, it is shameful that at least one of them has not yet stepped forward to do so. As it stands, this DVD lacks the sharpness and fidelity due its subject, although I actually like the off-center letter boxing, as it allows the subtitles to appear below the picture without covering it. Given RAN's extraordinary imagery, that is a blessing.

Rating:
Summary: King Lear in Japan
Review: Ran is a great film for anyone who has not seen a Japanese foreign film or who never not yet seen any of Kurosawa's work.

Loosely based on King Lear mixed with a good dash of Macbeth, the story revolves around a warlord, and his sons who conspire to control his fiefdom. The battle scenes are nothing short of miraculous cinematography. Since there is little dialog and a lot of fighting, this film should appeal to people who normally hate subtitled or foreign films. There is also a completely wonderful Lady Macbeth character who goads her husband and sons into revenge for her clan's annihilation.

Once you get a taste for Kurosawa, other films such as Seven Samurai, Sanjuro (kind of a sequel) and Rashomon are good ones to follow up with. Kagemusha (Shadow Warrior) is similar to Ran and also a late Kurosawa work.

Rating:
Summary: Awe inspiring......Materpiece......Genius.....Godlike.
Review: There is not a single day that I do not thank Akira Kurasawa for creating this "the greatest piece of art ever created.

Word cannot describe this film, it's spender can only be experienced.

To look at, like a cinamatic interpretation of a Kandinsky Oil Painting. The story the poetry of a Shakespere play . The sound of Takemitsu.

The Takemitsu Soundtrack is the greatest film score ever created. Better even than "Miles Davis's"

Kurasawa had turned to Shakespere's "King Lear" for inspiration The tale of greed, jealously and human nature leading to Chaos( Ran) The film has the story, moral dilemma's and majesty of shakespere. But it is not for these reasons it is great.

Cinematically it is almost as if film has being set in the paint palette of a some great artist, a vast chaotic sprawling kaleidoscope of colour unfolds, but the picture is not moving, but still, like a painting the figures of men can be made out but everything is abstract, abstract shapes, forms, thoughts. But then the scene clears: A shape, ....a Castle is engulfed by yellow, red, angrylily in conflict the fire of chaos of hell, to the left a vast horde of Red to the right Yellow, rendered in thick impasto . Everywhere there are contrasts between Red and Yellow of the opposing brothers ,walking through this vast seething mass of colour is a white colourless figure ,the figure of Hidetora the great lord who has lost his power his colour. The scene the greatest in cinematic history, everything.... ..everything in conflict dynamic tensions between the opposing colours ,red and yellow, in the backround they are scrapping over the castle in the form of the swirling churning red yellow, fire while in the foreground the colourless figure ,isolated,could not commit harikiri has lost everthing.The men cannot touch him the invisible barrier between them evident. The composition, perfectly symmetric .Perfectly Symbolic. The single figure holds the scene that represents everything Shakespere intended, The weakness of human nature leads to chaos. The camera is in the heavens, mocking yet curious. The scene as if viewed by god, or behind a pane of glass in a art gallery. A thin mist hangs over everything greating a feeling of distance yet the godlike perpective makes us feel almost responsible for the characters, for the ghostly flute player a symbol of the crimes commited by Hidetora's, for the dishonored suburu, for the chaos. The fact we are not responsible leads to a feeling of emptyness the emptyness is displayed onscreen .The vast landscapes expression remind us of how petty and insignificant all of it is in the face of Buddha. The perfection of this film is undoubtable almost frightning as if it were made by a god. Perhaps it was ? The greatest achievement of modern civilisation....

Rating:
Summary: Chaos
Review: What, prey tell, can I -possibly- say about this movie that hasn't already been said? It achieves the highest on so many levels - as a war film, as a character study, as a drama... it's just a magnificent movie. Not easy to watch, this is a very disturbing film with brilliant acting from all the players, great music, meticulously detailed sets and costumes and beautifully shot battle scenes. A harsh, grim, brilliant movie from Akira Kurosawa (Ikiru, The Seven Samurai).