Movie Review: Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985)

There are few more prolific and masterful directors in the history of cinema than Japan’s Akira Kurosawa. But while most of his legacy was built around the 1950’s and early 60’s, subsequent years would be something of a struggle for him as it was suggested that he was too westernized and even old-fashioned. It’s somewhat anachronistic then that many consider 1985’s Ran to be his masterpiece. It was in fact only his fourth film in 20 years and rumored at the time to be his last.

Ran takes its cue most famously from King Lear but Kurosawa stated that the initial premise was derived from a parable about the Sengoku-era warlord Mori Motonari. Motonari had three loyal and talented sons and Kurosawa liked the idea of a scenario in which they turned to their own motives. As he began to work on the project however, he did become aware of the similarities to Lear and started drawing in elements of Shakespeare’s play.

Kurosawa’s tale is of a great but aging warlord, Hidetora. He has conquered all around him, and governs the lands in an era of peace. His status is undisputed, but he realizes that his physical strength is waning and it’s time to hand over the reins to the youth and energy of his sons. He appoints his eldest son ruler of the kingdom, offering his other two sons lesser assignments and imploring them to unite as one powerful force. What ensues is a series of feuding as each brother becomes driven by his own motive, greed and quest for power. The father, now completely devoid of power, becomes estranged from each of his sons and is forced into a nomadic life along with his still loyal and protective entourage. In a short period of time, one seemingly diplomatic decision by the father has led to his own downfall, and a new period of warring among the conflicting interests of the kingdom.

Ran literally translates as “chaos” or “revolt” and clearly refers to the turmoil that arises. It’s an epic period drama that plays a little short of three hours, a running time that is extremely worthy of the material it covers. There are plenty of themes covered, the most notable being disloyalty and greed which have been covered in many tales before. There’s also significant emphasis placed on the absence of God in the wrong that men do. Kurosawa was quoted as saying that “God or whoever it is observing human events is feeling sadness about how human beings destroy each other, and powerlessness to affect human beings' behavior.” Kurosawa did witness the progress of war machinery and destruction during his lifetime, having lived through Hiroshima. The movie’s closing scene, its conclusion and the ignominious fate of the most graceful and forgiving character are clear evidence of Kurosawa’s struggle for meaning. Of particular note is the fact that while Hidetora may have appeared as a beacon of nobility above the rest of the feuding, we learn that his position had itself been achieved by horrendous acts of treachery and cruelty. His own downfall therefore could be seen as deserving of his past feats. Additionally Kurosawa does create a storyline that adds great depth to each of the characters, and we get to appreciate their self driven motives and the influences that lie behind them.

As intelligently written as the screenplay is however, Kurosawa’s biggest achievement is the artistic and cinematic effect of Ran. His intentions are clear from the outset as we view a still shot of men on horseback from various ranges amid luscious green hilled land. The costumes are immediately vibrant and striking with their vivid colors. Apparently each costume (1400 in all) necessitated 4 months of labor, and this area was at least awarded with an Oscar for Costume Design. Ran is a visual treat in its entirety as is its subdued but effective musical score. The battle scenes are particularly striking with Kurosawa holding very little back as he displays victims riddled with arrows, getting slashed to death, and a scene of one clinging on to a severed arm. It’s not brutally graphic by today’s standards but it creates a stunning and deeply impressionistic feel. There’s one scene of Hidetora and his men being overthrown at one of his castles that lingers long in the memory. It’s an almost silent scene, the score is subdued and piercing and reminds me of Tom Hanks ear ringing moments of observed disbelief in Saving Private Ryan. As Hidetora realizes the futility of it all he’s driven to suicide and when that fails madness. There’s a complete transformation in his character as he slowly walks out of the castle gates, his defeated men lying around him, and the victorious forces watching in passive disbelief as this great man once revered to the point of deitism passes them.

Hidetora is played by Tatsuya Nakadai who adorns ghost-like makeup and draws his influence from Japanese Noh Theater. I would have loved to have seen Toshiro Mifune in this role, one who appeared in many of Kurosawa’s movie’s but for some reason the two had become estranged. It’s suggested that Hidetora was nevertheless greatly influenced by Mifune too. Nakadai does do a great job however, most effective in his moments of silence that only amplify his occasional bursts of outrage. Also impressive was Mieko Harada, the poisonous vixen, Lady Kaede who singlehandedly guides two of the brothers into their foolish, prideful and treacherous ways.

This was a certainly a crowning achievement towards the end of Kurosawa’s career. It lost out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Movie due to his indifferences with the Japanese movie industry, but he was nominated in the Best Director category as well as for Cinematography, Art Direction and the aforementioned win for Costume Design. Many have claimed it to be Kurosawa’s masterpiece, and for its cinematic and visual effect there’s very little argument there. This is a great epic movie for sure, but I think I preferred the more thoughtful and creative screenplays of Ikiru and Rashômon, or the now legendary Seven Samurai.

Verdict: 4 ½ Stars Highly Recommended

Akira Kurosawa movies:

Rashômon
Ikiru
Seven Samurai
Ran