Movie Review: Ran
Ran (1985) Akira Kurosawa
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089881/
I really had to talk myself into watching this movie because it's always hyped to be an adaptation of King Lear. I hate King Lear. I'd rather watch Titus Andronicus than Lear. At least Titus has a nice slasher movie feel to it and can be fun. Lear is just mind numbing nastiness for two hours. More if they don't cut it down for modern attention spans.
It's a good thing this isn't really an adaptation of Lear then isn't it? According to an article at Wikipedia Kurosawa had completed an early draft of the script before he got the idea to incorporate elements of Lear into it. It was originally inspired by legends about a warlord of the Sengoku Jedai named Motonari who was famous for his loyal sons. What if the boys had turned on him? How would it have played out?
The most obvious element inserted from Lear is the Fool but we also have the blinded courtier and Lady Kaede, the wife of the eldest son, is very strongly reminiscent of Lear's daughter Goneril.
Ran works far better than Lear because of the differences between the characters nd their Shakespearean counterparts. Lear is a fool but he doesn't deserve what happens. Hidetora, Lear's counterpart is old and has mellowed but when younger committed countless atrocities on his way to power. His crimes are mentioned several times so that you know he has earned every bit of the pain he is experiencing.
Goneril is a selfish bitch who is solely motivated by a desire for power. Kaede has a reason for what she does, one that is hinted at but only comes out in the last 10 minutes or so of the film. She's still a bitch but you have to admire her. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
The film is visually stunning. I would love to see the battle scenes on a big screen or really any scene in which they are riding through the beautiful countryside on those gorgeous horses with the mountains in the background.
The first battle sequence is almost a silent movie with the sound track coming up loud and the actions being deliberately big and stagy. There are other scenes where the actors play things in a formal stage acting style that pulls the viewer out of the emotions of the scenes and spot lights the power game that is really going on.
The ending is a bit of a puzzle to me. The movie kinda just stops with an arty bit with the blind character and a cliff.
Overall well worth watching at least once. I wish that somebody would do an edition with a cultural commentary track so I can get some of the references though.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089881/
I really had to talk myself into watching this movie because it's always hyped to be an adaptation of King Lear. I hate King Lear. I'd rather watch Titus Andronicus than Lear. At least Titus has a nice slasher movie feel to it and can be fun. Lear is just mind numbing nastiness for two hours. More if they don't cut it down for modern attention spans.
It's a good thing this isn't really an adaptation of Lear then isn't it? According to an article at Wikipedia Kurosawa had completed an early draft of the script before he got the idea to incorporate elements of Lear into it. It was originally inspired by legends about a warlord of the Sengoku Jedai named Motonari who was famous for his loyal sons. What if the boys had turned on him? How would it have played out?
The most obvious element inserted from Lear is the Fool but we also have the blinded courtier and Lady Kaede, the wife of the eldest son, is very strongly reminiscent of Lear's daughter Goneril.
Ran works far better than Lear because of the differences between the characters nd their Shakespearean counterparts. Lear is a fool but he doesn't deserve what happens. Hidetora, Lear's counterpart is old and has mellowed but when younger committed countless atrocities on his way to power. His crimes are mentioned several times so that you know he has earned every bit of the pain he is experiencing.
Goneril is a selfish bitch who is solely motivated by a desire for power. Kaede has a reason for what she does, one that is hinted at but only comes out in the last 10 minutes or so of the film. She's still a bitch but you have to admire her. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
The film is visually stunning. I would love to see the battle scenes on a big screen or really any scene in which they are riding through the beautiful countryside on those gorgeous horses with the mountains in the background.
The first battle sequence is almost a silent movie with the sound track coming up loud and the actions being deliberately big and stagy. There are other scenes where the actors play things in a formal stage acting style that pulls the viewer out of the emotions of the scenes and spot lights the power game that is really going on.
The ending is a bit of a puzzle to me. The movie kinda just stops with an arty bit with the blind character and a cliff.
Overall well worth watching at least once. I wish that somebody would do an edition with a cultural commentary track so I can get some of the references though.
posted by Ranuel | 10:59 AM
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