Classic Story of Betrayal

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 1999)

Ran (or Chaos) is a brilliant film. For some, there are a few obstacles to its enjoyment. It takes place at the time of the Samurai and it's subtitled since it is in Japanese. If that is ok, (it was fine with me) then you can look forward to a powerful tale of intrigue and betrayal. Speaking of the story, while it is based on Shakespeare (King Lear), it contains lots of action. And unlike some movies based on his work, Ran is very easy to follow.
The first thing you notice about Ran is the style of the camera work. The scenery is often beautiful and Kurosawa uses powerful telephoto lenses to interestingly compress distance. The plot begins to unfold about an arrogant Lord and his three sons. It seems like a simple family squabble but the family members are often not what they seem. Everyone believes they know what is happening but almost no one understands the danger they are all in.

The castles, battle scenes and the costumes are tremendous. I especially liked the quiet moments. For in every silence, a terrible event was beginning to unfold. The performances by the brothers are good. The Lord played by Tatsuya Nakadai is outstanding. But it is Mieko Harada playing Lady Kaede who steals the show.
Ran vividly shows how fragile family and sanity are. It is a paranoid vision where anyone can do harm. Yet, it is all glossed over by the polished customs of the traditional Japanese world which increases the story's intensity. There are good people in Ran. They cling to their faith. But they are at the mercy of the arrogant, who are blind to the need to work together, to make any society work. No other film illustrates the need for cooperation at every level better than Ran.