OK, but ...

Rating: 6/10 (14 August 2006)

Eager to see Ran in 1985 when it came out on the screens, I only managed to see it more than 20 years later on DVD. Is it for the high expectations built up in this period, or the ageing of this film, but I found Ran a rather disappointing viewing experience.
The story of course is known, but the elaboration on the screen lacks some consistency in my mind. It's too long (the wandering scenes with the "fool" Hidetora accompanied by his jester could have been much shorter without missing anything essential) and in general it remained too superficial. The leading parts don't get any development of character (only exception: lady Kaede), although you could have been expecting this with such a tragic story as King Lear on the background.
Although the mass fighting scenes, seen in the light of today's CGI, are not spectacular any more, they're very good done. The acting performances are fine too, topping Mieko Harada as lady Kaede, an intrigante who wants to take revenge on the Hidetora family. She gets some marvelous scenes and manages them very well. I also enjoyed Hisashi Igawa as the down to earth general of the second son, Jiro.
Announced as a masterwork of the late Kurosawa, I'm glad to have seen Ran at last, but the 99th best movie all times  no, it isn't.