A new King Lear by a legend of a director

Rating: 10/10 (9 September 1998)

Mr. Kurosawa, perfectionist that he was, certainly put all he had into the film "Ran". It is an incredibly creative update of Shakespeare's "King Lear" that takes place in a war-ridden Japanese culture. Instead of the King bequeathing his castles and lands to his three "loving" daughters who then marry horribly corrupt husbands, Akira Kurosawa has the Japanese King bequeath his castles and lands to three "loving" sons who then marry corrupt harpy wives.
The most beautiful aspect of the film is the fantastic imagery in which Kurosawa delights so zealously. The opening war scene of Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" seems to have been lifted directly from Kurosawa's "Ran" wherein a horrorifically blugeoning war seems to be taking place in a dream-like state. Kurosawa also has spectacularly vibrant colours so as to use them to vividly punctuate every aspect of the film.
To produce Shakespeare alone is an amazing feat; but to be able to interpret Shakespeare via the ancient Japanese culture is pure brilliance. This is one of Akira Kurosawa's definitive films and that which will keep him alive for generations to come.