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Spanish poet and philosopher George Santayana once wrote "Those that don't remember their history are cursed to repeat it". In other words, we need to learn from our mistakes as human beings and as a society, in order to not repeat them again and again. Unfortunately, we either forget, or think we're above those mistakes and that we will never trip over them again, only to find ourselves face flat next. That sentiment lies in the background of Akira Kurosawa's 1985 epic.
Set in Medieval Japan, Ran follows Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai), an aging warlord that decides to retire and hand over his empire to his three sons: Taro, Jiro, and Saburo. Unfortunately, he doesn't count on how the thirst for power will corrupt and ultimately destroy their family and the kingdom. As chaos ravages the land, Hidetora starts to lose his sanity, but still finds himself realizing that much of what's happening is a direct result of his past actions and mistakes.
This is a film that I've had on my radar for decades. Even when I was a teenager starting to get into film, I used to be drawn to its box cover which featured the iconic scene with the castle engulfed in flames. For some reason, I never got around to it, and when I started diving into Kurosawa films as an adult, some people suggested for me to start with "lighter" films and leave Ran for later. After watching four other Kurosawa films during the last decade, I thought it was about time.
There are many things that I could say about the film. It is definitely an epic in all its spectacle and scope. The setpieces are breathtaking and grandiose, the set and production design is perfect, and Kurosawa's direction is pretty much flawless. His framing and use of color and symmetry on the shots is so gorgeous that you want to take them and put them on a wall. In addition, Kurosawa uses numerous shots of nature, from the mountains and clouds to the chilling last shot, perhaps in an attempt to contrast the beauty and order of nature against the chaos ("ran") of humanity's struggles and wars.
Because Ran is a film of chaos despite all efforts. Hidetora has lived all his life building his kingdom, and for the most part has managed to avoid the consequences of the actions of his past. But as he realizes towards the middle of the film, as he finds himself in the ruins of a castle he once destroyed, men always travel the same road. Hidetora realizes that the ruthlessness with which he ruled is the same ruthlessness that he's seeing in his sons right now, and that the revenge he's being served right now is the direct effect of his own actions.
The performance from Nakadai is a spectacle in and of itself, as we see the mental and physical decay conveyed through his expressions, his makeup, and his body language. Jinpachi Nezu and Daisuke Ryu are also great as Jiro and Saburo, but Mieko Harada easily steals every scene she's in as Lady Kaede, the cunning wife of Taro. Kudos also to Peter, who plays Hidetora's fool and who probably has one of the most interesting arcs and certainl the best lines (including the above quote).
This film has certainly jumped at the top of my Kurosawa ranking, and is easily one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. It has surely joined the list of films I would love to see on the big screen at least once. I've only just seen it, but I would have no issues traveling this road again.
Grade:
RAN
(1985, Kurosawa)
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #3
(1985, Kurosawa)
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #3
"Men always travel the same road"
Spanish poet and philosopher George Santayana once wrote "Those that don't remember their history are cursed to repeat it". In other words, we need to learn from our mistakes as human beings and as a society, in order to not repeat them again and again. Unfortunately, we either forget, or think we're above those mistakes and that we will never trip over them again, only to find ourselves face flat next. That sentiment lies in the background of Akira Kurosawa's 1985 epic.
Set in Medieval Japan, Ran follows Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai), an aging warlord that decides to retire and hand over his empire to his three sons: Taro, Jiro, and Saburo. Unfortunately, he doesn't count on how the thirst for power will corrupt and ultimately destroy their family and the kingdom. As chaos ravages the land, Hidetora starts to lose his sanity, but still finds himself realizing that much of what's happening is a direct result of his past actions and mistakes.
This is a film that I've had on my radar for decades. Even when I was a teenager starting to get into film, I used to be drawn to its box cover which featured the iconic scene with the castle engulfed in flames. For some reason, I never got around to it, and when I started diving into Kurosawa films as an adult, some people suggested for me to start with "lighter" films and leave Ran for later. After watching four other Kurosawa films during the last decade, I thought it was about time.
There are many things that I could say about the film. It is definitely an epic in all its spectacle and scope. The setpieces are breathtaking and grandiose, the set and production design is perfect, and Kurosawa's direction is pretty much flawless. His framing and use of color and symmetry on the shots is so gorgeous that you want to take them and put them on a wall. In addition, Kurosawa uses numerous shots of nature, from the mountains and clouds to the chilling last shot, perhaps in an attempt to contrast the beauty and order of nature against the chaos ("ran") of humanity's struggles and wars.
Because Ran is a film of chaos despite all efforts. Hidetora has lived all his life building his kingdom, and for the most part has managed to avoid the consequences of the actions of his past. But as he realizes towards the middle of the film, as he finds himself in the ruins of a castle he once destroyed, men always travel the same road. Hidetora realizes that the ruthlessness with which he ruled is the same ruthlessness that he's seeing in his sons right now, and that the revenge he's being served right now is the direct effect of his own actions.
The performance from Nakadai is a spectacle in and of itself, as we see the mental and physical decay conveyed through his expressions, his makeup, and his body language. Jinpachi Nezu and Daisuke Ryu are also great as Jiro and Saburo, but Mieko Harada easily steals every scene she's in as Lady Kaede, the cunning wife of Taro. Kudos also to Peter, who plays Hidetora's fool and who probably has one of the most interesting arcs and certainl the best lines (including the above quote).
This film has certainly jumped at the top of my Kurosawa ranking, and is easily one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. It has surely joined the list of films I would love to see on the big screen at least once. I've only just seen it, but I would have no issues traveling this road again.
Grade: