Ran (1985)

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu
Runtime: 162 minutes

Synopsis: In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.

Verdict: Akira Kurosawa is a director whose extensive filmography is one I've been meaning to get more into. The Japanese filmmaker's legacy in the world of Cinema is immeasurable, and "Ran" may be one of his most famous projects due to its scale and critical acclaim, which earned him his first and only Oscar nomination at the age of 76. The Shakespearean epic, which is loosely based on the English author's "King Lear", is also a departure from my experience with his earlier work which was later adopted by Hollywood, serving as a blueprint for many classics in the Western genre.

And while I admired films like "Yojimbo" or "Seven Samurai", I believe that what he achieved with "Ran" is nothing short of a cinematic miracle. It's an immaculately executed piece of art in which tension amongst family members leads to chaos (or ran, in Japanese) and bloodshed in a gorgeously captured Medieval Japan. Vibrant colors and multiple long takes help highlight the idea that power leads to madness, and madness leads to power. In many ways, it's an accurate critic of the tyrannical nature of the oligarchic system led by a number of interesting characters including an aging warlord who decides to divide his empire among his three sons, who won't stop at anything to retain meaningless titles, protect their pride, and grow their kingdoms.

Aside from the first 30 minutes or so, the nearly 3-hour long runtime never felt overwhelming as there's always something happening on screen. The scale and look of it reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon", a comparison that fits well because Kurosawa's storyboards for the film consisted of paintings he drew himself. It's the type of movie I hope to experience one day on the big screen and an instant favorite in my books.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10