Epic, brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (13 April 2007)

Hidetora is an old warlord whose wars over the past 50 years have "spilled an ocean of blood". He is now ready to pass on his castles and lands to his three sons, and wants his legacy to be one of peace. But the three sons quickly become enemies as they vie for power, and plunge the kingdom into chaos and war.
The plot and characters are brilliantly adapted from King Lear - the plot is complex and characters' fates intertwine with one another beautifully.
"Ran" is beautifully shot - it is set in a mountainous region of Kyushu Island, and it makes you want to travel there. The sight of dozens of cavalrymen dressed in 16th century armor, thundering across ridges and fording rivers, sends chills up your spine.
The "jester" is brilliant in the alternating roles of caregiving and ridiculer of the aging Hidetora, and has a knack for coming up with lines both amusing and deeply illuminating.
The battle scenes are incredible. Over 1,400 extras were used, and a suit of armor had to be made for each. Some 200 horses were used. The stunts also are amazing... there had to be some bones broken when you see these guys falling off their horses at a full run. There's another scene where an infantry soldier tries to get out of the way of a cavalryman thundering toward him, and the horse's breast hits him full in the chest, sending him flying.
There a really memorable scene where Kurosawa has built a $1.5M replica of a castle, and burns it to the ground. The sight of the castle, fully engulfed, and Hidetora walking down the steps in his descent toward madness, has to be one of the best all-time film scenes.
My only criticism is the length - it lags a couple of times. Kurosawa really liked lingering on scenes so the viewer can fully absorb and think about them.