Epic Samurai Spectacle

Rating: 7/10 (1 December 2016)

Kurosawa, the master of cinema, provides a truly epic retelling of King Lear in "Samurai format". Kurosawa has a taste for Shakespeare, retelling much of his works in his films.
The spectacle is overwhelming, with long, drawn-out battles with flowing, colorful flags and lots of blood. The battles rage a little too long for my liking, and take the story away. The film is very long and tends to drag, with some of the dialogue adding to the plodding pace.
The story revolves around a warlord and his sons who vie for power, resulting in much bloodshed and strife. There is a jester who adds comic relief, and his wild antics are quite the bizarre contrast to the otherwise serious tone of the film.
Kurosawa fans should watch this, but alone it is not the most impressive story, even as a retelling of Shakespeare. Lots of epic battles though.