Kurosawa's greatest effort

Rating: 10/10 (6 July 2000)

"Ran" is certainly one of the most magnificent epics ever to grace the screen. I was only able to watch it on video and I'm longing to see it on the big screen to fully appreciate Akira Kurosawa's ultimate statement about war. It's not only the masterly directed battle-scenes (which are among the best of all time, that is for sure) that make this film one the best war-epics, along with "Lawrence of Arabia" or "All quiet on the western front". It is Kurosawa's whole treatment of this complex adaption of Shakespeare's "King Lear": He reflects on the reasons of war, how longtime allies become enemies, how the victims split up in those who forgive and those who revenge and about the innocent, who pay in a war the highest price of all. All these elements are carefully developed and Kurosawa takes a lot of time to unfold his story. And to all, who think this movie needs to much time until something interesting happens: stay at least until the first battle. You'll see, everything that seemed boring or not interesting will work out perfectly and add up to one of the greatest movies of all time.