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| Ran |
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  (9/10)
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Runtime: 160 |
| Public Rating: 8.45 (38 votes) |
Director: Akira Kurosawa |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Drama/War |
Year: 1985 |
| Writer(s): Akira Kurosawa, Masato Ide, Hideo Oguni |
| Reviewed by: Vadim Rizov |
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One of the greatest films from one of the greatest auteurs of all time (some would argue THE greatest), Ran is not merely an action movie with great battle scenes, or exceptional Japanese drama, or some kind of philosophical statement on the nature of power and mankind' inherent rotteness. What makes it such a great movie is its depth and (despite its great length) accessibility to all who watch.
Lest I make it sound like watching Ran is a walk in the park, easy and fun, let me clear up that misconception. Although it is totally absorbing throughout its admittedly long running time, it's a movie which, when watched, needs to be observed closely, since Kurosawa, unlike so many Western epic directors, does not signal his thoughts through bombastic musical scores and long speeches (e.g., The Patriot). Although he juggles multiple balls here (fathers and sons, war stories, stories of honor and vengeance, human nature, religious faith, etc.), Kurosawa's last great achievement almost never falters by cuing the audience on how to react. This Japanese transposition of the King Lear story follows a feudal warlord (the fantastic Nakadai, pitch-perfect in his role) who divides his land between two sons - the third, sensing trouble, speaks up and is banished. Inevitably, the two brothers and their father clash, with the warriors of each side fighting it out. Death, loss of hope and other things (as Chris Garcia puts it, "epic dad-dissing") follow.
Foremost, this is a movie of fantastic performances. A blistering one is given by Mieko Harado as Lady Kaede, who has yet to be seen by Western audiences again. A monologue she gives is the most impressive piece of acting you'll see in any year you watch this movie, period. This is important because, despite the numerous battle scenes, this is very much a movie where a great deal happens inside spare dwellings. When the characters aren't wandering around the majestic area where the story takes place, they're facing each other off in barren interiors.
This is also a movie where Kurosawa's visual sense comes into play during each and every outdoor scene. The battle scenes, riots of clashing banners and blood, are spectacular, and so are the non-violent outdoor scenes (especially the movie's opening, a sort-of tea taken outdoors after a hunt). The story, though it may have Western roots, seems firmly rooted in these settings, which emerge as more than mere window trapping.
The only problems with the movie occur whenver the characters debate among themselves (many, many times) whether this particular situation, and the world in general, is heaven or hell - ne'er a suggestion of compromise. The movie plays itself out as a bitter twist on that scene in The Straight Story where Alvin Straight tells the story about the bundle of sticks representing unbreakable family loyalty. Here, family and loyalty is a very disposable concept, the sticks are easily broken, and Kurosawa appears disgusted with modern Japan (for this is definitely not a self-contained period tale). Ran is a staggering achievement, which all the critical cliches in the world wouldn't help praise accurately (although it pointedly refuses to allow the viewer any deep emotional involvement; he watches from the omniscient perspective of the clouds constantly seen, god-like; this is signaled in some nuance of the film's title, which comes across in Japanese). Anyone who admires cinematic excellence should watch this movie and have the chance to be as unoriginal as I am about it; really, this movie is way above us insignificant critics and our carping.
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