Ran - English subtitled
Melancholic masterpiece by Akira Kurosawa – inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear – about an ageing warlord whose decision to divide his empire among his sons leads to betrayal and destruction.
With Ran, Kurosawa returned to Shakespeare, whose Macbeth he had previously used as the basis for Throne Of Blood. This time, Kurosawa chose King Lear, with one important change: In Ran, the ageing ruler has three sons, not daughters. Kurosawa also moves the action to sixteenth-century Japan. Warlord Hidetora Ichimonji feels his end approaching. He summons his three sons and announces his intention to divide his empire among them. When the youngest protests, he is promptly exiled. However, the other two sons turn out to be untrustworthy.
Akira Kurosawa worked on this film for ten years and was 75 when he completed Ran. The film is the culmination of his lifelong fascination with Japanese history, human nature and the futility of war. The film features several meticulously choreographed battles and masterfully uses colour, influenced by Kurosawa's background as a painter. The film was nominated for four Oscars and won one for Best Costume Design.