ran (akira kurosawa, 1985)

[autumnsoliloquy90]

The first Akira Kurosawa film I ever watched was the famous Seven Samurai, perhaps the film most accredited as Kurosawa's best film. However, after seeing the epic masterpiece that is Ran ('revolt' or 'chaos' in Nihon-go) I really beg to differ. This is the creme de la creme of all his seven movies. (Granted, I have yet to watch all but this one really blew my mind away.)

The film is loosely based on Shakespeare's epic tragedy King Lear, set in medieval Japan when feudal lords battled over lands in decades and centuries of neverending war. It is about an aging autocrat who decides to retire and abdicate his power to his sons (instead of daughters as in the tragic play), which eventually lead to total chaos and bloodshed. However, most people do not know that Kurosawa's original inspiration was more of the legend of the daimyo Motonari who had three morally upright and competent sons. He then wondered what it would be like if the sons were imperfect instead. When he realised the connections to King Lear, that is only when he decided to borrow some elements from the play.

In any case, IMHO this film takes the backbone of the story and expands it to epic proportions. (not that King Lear wasn't epic enough... imagine that!) There are just too many reasons why this is easily one of my top 5 favourite motion pictures of all time now.

Firstly, the cinematography is mindblowingly awesome. Well, what can one expect, when Kurosawa painstakingly painted every scene during the preproduction? From the foreboding dark clouds in the sky like a foreshadowing for imminent chaos, to the scenic landscapes of rolling plains and cliffs, to the breathtaking scenes such as the castle being consumed by the burning inferno and realistically brutal war scenes with no dialogue except for the background music of the haunting melancholic tunes of the japanese flute. In this film, Kurosawa really makes a statement against the vagaries of warfare, complete with all the blood and gore meticulously detailed. Considering this was done in the 1980's when there is no CGI and every infantry man required an actor, Hollywood modern epics like Lord of the Rings and various war movies don't even compare. But Kurosawa does not succumb to the temptation of glorifying wars as many directors in Hollywood often do. Nope, if you were expecting 300, this is the wrong DVD to rent.

As I already mentioned, the soundtrack is appropriate for this tragedy and definitely adds to the suspense, thrill or shock one would feel with every scene. But I feel that the main draw to this movie is really how you can really feel the characters. At first there is sympathy and a sense of injustice as we watch the transition of Hidetora from a noble conqueror to a guilt-ridden hapless old man tormented by the demons of his past, but as the mistakes of his past slowly unravels, we get the feeling that this is just retribution for his sins. This is a crucial difference and IMHO an improvement from the character King Lear, who was just a victim of circumstances. Men, after all, are the captains of their own lives; you reap what you sow.

Then there are his two elder sons, the ones who would eventually turn against him in their lust for power. While their methods are definitely more brutal and ruthless compared to their Shakespearean counterparts, you don't get the feeling that they are completely 100% rotten-to-the-core evil. For example, even though the brothers did not have any reservations at all to kill each other, the eldest son never really thought of killing his father, while the second son even reluctantly let his father escape into the wild after having lost his sanity. Then there is the sexually-ambiguous jester with the high ponytail who, at first glance, might appear as a mere comic device, but throughout the film his amusing jokes are ironically nothing but blatant truth and perhaps the best description of the fallen lord's predicament. Beyond that, Kurosawa also extends this character to be tempted to abandon his now-insane master but only to turn back -- not out of affection -- but because being a servant is the only life he's ever known.

Then there is Lady Kaede, my favourite character in the whole film, who may be the best femme fatale to have graced the big screen ever (okay, maybe at least the Japanese cinema). This is a character which King Lear didn't have, and she's a fascinating but intimidating character with a sad history. The wife of the first son, she had been plotting her revenge against the Ichimonji clan after Hidetora plundered and razed her clan's castle to the ground. When the second son kills his older brother, she seduces the surviving brother (more like, threatened with a dagger to the jugular, really) and has him perfectly wound around her finger. (Men are so weak.) Although Lady Kaede is the personification of misogynistic demonisation of the female to the point where you just recoil in fright from the rage seeping out of the screen, there is a certain pity for her when she finally meets her own tragic end.

But I think the most depressing parts of the story dealt with the characters of Saburo, the third and most loyal son, and the siblings Lady Sueh and Tsumumaru, whose own clan was wiped out during Hidetora's savage territorial conquests. Saburo, like his counterpart Cordelia, is an honest filial child but one who does not mince his words and therefore his frankness comes off as insolence. We don't see him much after being banished, but when we finally see him reconcile with his father and then the subsequent tragic events thereafter, I must admit that was heartwrenching. Lady Sueh, a devout Buddhist who believes in love and forgiveness does not escape a sad fate as well. Perhaps the most depressing scene of the whole film would be the final, when we see a blind Tsumumaru waiting in vain till dusk for his sister who would never return, at the edge of a cliff where he almost stumbles down to his death. As the camera pans out to show how he is the only soul in a sprawling desolate landscape, you can't help but feel that it is a metaphor for mankind being stuck in a never-ending cycle of bloodshed, lust for power, greed and suffering.

Anyway, I've watched so many movies and many I have really liked, but none before Ran do I ever feel that a film deserves a 10/10. This one really does. If I had to think up something, my only beef with this film is that it requires some patience and endurance (it's 2.5 hours long). While I think it would have been just as good if he'd cut it down to 2 hours, it doesn't really feel draggy even during scenes when the camera just lingers for a few seconds on introspection. It's entertaining (if your idea of entertainment is picturesque scenery, epic battles, insightful characters) and it's the kind of film that sticks to you even after years from first viewing, maybe even the kind you'd wanna rewatch at different phases of your life. Definitely not during periods of depression, for obvious reasons (i.e. themes of nihilism). I just can't fathom how this film has not gathered and still isn't gathering enough attention and the proper accolades it deserves. Just 1 BAFTA and no Oscars? Really now? No wonder this is the movie closest to Kurosawa's own life; his gradual lack of funding towards the end of his life, perfectionism to the point of insanity and inability to break into American mainstream film had driven him to some failed suicide attempts.

tl;dr I watched another depressing movie again. I should really check out comedies instead, since I don't have the balls for thrillers and horror right now.

Comments

[laurie-bunter.livejournal.com]

I watched Ran years ago, I pretty much forgot most of its details! :( Seven Samurai was adorable, I wouldn't mind seeing it again. I really liked Rashomon for the mind games it plays with the viewer. And Kagemusha was awesome, I remember feeling so bad for the main character, and how he was living someone else's life for years.

The Kurosawa film I can watch over and over again, though, is Dreams. It captures so many moods and invokes so many feelings in me. <3 It's one of my favorite films of all time.

[autumnsoliloquy.livejournal.com]

I have yet to watch Dreams though! I've only watched Seven Samurai and Ran so far, so maybe it's way too early for me to be proclaiming Ran as Kurosawa's best. Shall watch Dreams next then, since you liked it! :)

[adam-epp.livejournal.com]

This is the creme de la creme of all his seven movies.

Seven? He directed a lot more than seven. Over twenty.

Ran is excellent and has astonishing cinematography, but I think I enjoyed Kagemusha more, overall, since I found its story more engrossing.