A Work of Art

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2007)

"Ran" directed by Akira Kurosawa is truly a masterpiece in film. The essence of camera movement and capturing nature makes it one of a kind. Adapted from William Shakespeare, King Lear, the story centers around three sons, whose father decides to hand down his power and kingdom to one of his sons. After this moment, the sons are truly separated from each other by their need for hubris. Kurosawa does a excellent job with the long shot and capturing the beauty of the scene and the moment. Nature, is also another character in the film, that Kurosawa captures beautifully. At times of chaos it seems that nature responds to reveal a religious entity. By having instances of meaningful emptiness, it allows the audience to have a moments of reflection, which many other films do not offer. Also the pristine use of color in the movie really makes it a wonderful piece of art. Each brother in the movie contains their own color and when these colors clash, it reveals the essence of art. For instance, when the red and yellow sides clash, they cause an orange fire that is set in the castle, to reveal what happens when two sides merge. It may cause destruction and utter chaos. Also the music in the film really makes the film more captivating and worth watching. I highly recommend this film for its use of color, nature, and incredible camera movement.