Shakespeare, Kurosawa style (contains spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2001)

Akira Kurosawa directs this visually striking drama that combines
Shakespearean drama with feudal Japanese themes. In RAN (which means "chaos"), an aging ruler Hidetora decides to renounce his throne to his three sons, Taro, Jiro, and Saburo, when Taro's wicked wife Lady Kaede decides to manipulate Taro and Jiro with her malicious ways,
turning the family upside down. Meanwhile, Hidetora goes insane, with only his jester and a bodyguard to watch over him as he loses his marbles over the corrosion of his family. Filled with bloody massacres and an equally gory resolution (with Kaede getting her head sliced off, which Kurosawa doesn't actually show, but it's evident thanks to that nasty blood spray on the wall), RAN may not be a completely whole- some film for the whole family, but hey, it's Shakespeare, a poet who specializes in tragic, belligerent stories. The costumes (which won
an Academy award) are also stunning, showing in great detail the
splendor of the kimonos and the superior look of the warrior's battle armor. Don't forget Lady Kaede's eyebrows, which rise about 5 inches abover her eyes.