A Glorious Tale

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2001)

Ran is a movie I have wanted to see for a long time, and, after seeing it, I feel privileged. It is a grand achievement for Kurosawa, and a wonderful film.
As the movie unfolds, it is spectacularly easy to identify with each character - even the more malicious ones (this does the job of making one care about the good and despise the bad all that much more easily). Each character says what needs to be said to get the right thing across, and no more. The movie seems to be made gently, and with great care. And it's something that works, in every single shot of the movie.

One thing I love about Kurosawa films is how simple, but how effective the cinematography is. I cant help but mention it here. Compared to overdone and all-too-mobile camerawork in movies like Gladiator, Ran's camerawork is simplicity defined. For the most part, it simply sits there, as a casual observer. It doesn't move all that much, but that just means that, when it does, its all the more important. The way the camera moves in and out throughout scenes truly do enhance the movie, and give it even more life. Kurosawa truly was a master at using the camera to enhance the story, rather then just show it.
Yes, the performances are excellent. The sets and costumes are incredibly beautiful. The battle scenes are epic and have influenced many a director, I am sure. The tale is grand, epic, and amazingly well translated to the movie screen. But there's more to Ran then just that. It's just an absolutely stunning motion picture. It jumps out of the screen, and is full of life. And it's so much better than just about any other Shakespeare play adapted to the film screen (especially the overly pretentious "Titus") by Hollywood. Ran is a movie that needs to be seen. It's also a fitting exclamation point (he made other films, but this is his last "big" one) to the career of one of the greatest filmmakers to ever live.