Kurosawa's masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2010)

Ran (1985) written and directed by Akira Kurosawa, is one of the great movies of all time. I saw it when it was first released, and just saw it again when it was shown locally. It's one of those films that gets even better on a second viewing.
This movie has been billed as the "Japanese King Lear," and that's fairly accurate. (However, the three children are sons in this version, not daughters.) However, in my opinion, the film is just as close to Shakespeare's "Macbeth," because much of the plot pivots around the actions of Lady Kaede, the wife of one of the sons.
Lady Kaede, played by the renowned actor Mieko Harada, is intelligent, beautiful, and completely devoid of fear or kindness. She has a goal and she pursues it relentlessly throughout the film. It's only at the end that we understand the goal and her actions in pursuit of it.
If you're a movie fan, you simply have to see Ran. It works much better on the large screen. (We were fortunate to see it at the excellent Dryden Theatre at Eastman House in Rochester.) However, if the only way to see it is on DVD, go with that. Just don't miss it!