[Taste of Asia] Ran (1985)

 Its no secret I am a fan of  the filmmaker and director Akira Kurosawa, so regular readers to the column will be dished a generous serving of his works as we progress through the year. One of the stand out features ; amongst so many of his talents, is Kurosawas ability to translate classic European stories, particularly Shakespearean text, and effortlessly weave them into the Japanese mythology making it accessable to an international audience.

Ran is one of his last works and is one of his largest scale productions.  The plot is loosely based on the legends of daimyo Mōri Motonari, interweaving key elements from King Lear. Ran is classified as a jidgigeki or Japanese period drama.  Themes of betrayal, lust for power murders and the persuasive thread of wars are deeply inbedded within the plot.

Although touted as being a Japanese rewrite of the Shakespearean play, Kurosawa maintains he had not consciously drawn on it , rather basing it on a parable about Mōri Motonari.  Kurosawa was fascinated by the concept of  seemingly endless loyalty altering to such a stage that history is changed.  Both Lear and Ran follow the decisions an elderly Lord makes when dividing his lands amongst his three children.  The conflict in both see that two of the children turn against him and pride forces the Lord to reject the one true child’s assistance.

Very few directors have the skill Kurosawa has in conveying the large scale epic events this film has, but also capture intimate moments.  In true Japanese style, he is able to convey stillness and violence in a single scene. It is  Kurosawa’s empathy to the human condition which allows him to portray his characters with such richness and honesty. 

Regardless of the language barrier, this film will evoke and emotional repsonse from any audinece member. The film is well paced, authentically acted producing a haunting epic of timeless significance. 

Theatrical poster via Wiki