Ran (1985)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai and Mieko Harada.
Ran is a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word, sprawling, searing, and executed with the painterly precision of an experienced master. With its Shakespearean foundation (King Lear), Ran presents a convincing argument that film can indeed be considered “high art.” I can’t help but note the autobiographical undertones. Where earlier Kurosawa is zesty, humorous, and often focused on the goodness of mankind, Ran feels ephemeral and perhaps more despondent, a weary twilight and a sad sigh. Gone are the rousing charges of Seven Samurai; in their place are eerie, soundless battle scenes drenched in blood and despair. That isn’t to say it’s completely without hope, but it comes very close.
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