Ran

(Akira Kurosawa/1985/Japan)

Ran is a Japanese Sengoku period epic set in the 16^th Century showing the results of a decision by a powerful warlord to effectively retire and split his lands and wealth between his three sons. It is a lavish film, full of colour and pomp and cut through with one of the most theatrical of performances in any of Kurosawa’s films in the form of Tatsuya Nakadai as the warlord Hidetora. His facial expressions and make up become increasingly pronounced as the story unfolds to carve out a visage of weariness and tragedy marked by shadowy bags under eyes, gaunt cheeks and rattling eye sockets. He is mesmerising at points and invariably accompanied by his fool, Kyoami, who offers a jumping, giggling counterpoint to his slow descent into madness.

The film closely parallels Shakespeare’s Lear in both themes and story. It opens with a shot of clouds and blue sky which presage the decision to abdicate and the upset that ensues. The clouds appear repeatedly before something terrible happens throughout the rest of the film. Nature or more accurately natural law, justice and power are underlying concerns of the story. One change Kurosawa makes is from Lear’s daughters to Hidetora’s sons but he retains strong female characters in the wives of the warlord’s sons. They are crucial to the plot and the theme around power. Ran is a sprawling family drama of sorts that examines the failings and struggles of being human. It is a sumptuous and at times violent film and is certainly one of Kurosawa’s best easily standing next to, if not surpassing, his earlier Samurai films of the 50’s and 60’s.

(4/5)