"Such is the human condition."

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2009)

For Akira Kurosawa, without a doubt one of the greatest directors of all time, Ran marks the last great movie he ever made despite its shortcomings. It is hard to find fault with such a great director; one who has explored the very realistic nature of human living with classics such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, and Red Beard. Here, he continues his love for Shakespeare by adapting King Lear to the samurai age as he shows an elder lord abdicate the throne to his eldest son only to watch it be tossed around amidst bloody and violent interactions.
As with his other period pieces, Kurosawa pays attention to the little details and they all pay off and enhance the watching experience. Every scene is visually delicious from the remarkable sets and locations to the epic and colorful costumes and props. Kurosawa was also a master at filming action scenes and Ran is no exception. They battle scenes are rather graphic for Kurosawa but stunning nonetheless. Although this one didn't entice me as much as his earlier work, perhaps due to its slow-moving pacing and some rather complex motifs, this is still a very strong piece of work from the greatest of all Eastern directors and further shows that Akira Kurosawa is a director to be recognized and honored for all time.