Ran (1985)

 Akira Kurosawa's "Ran"


I've spent the last couple of days considered what to say and write about for Akira Kurosawa's 1985 masterpiece "Ran." With any normal masterpiece, I feel like there is normally so much to say about it; so much to gush over. While that is certainly true for "Ran," I also feel myself at a loss for words. The sheer scale of the film is breathtaking, along with the visuals Kurosawa is able to conjure. There's so much that could be said, but I feel as though the film itself does most of the talking. 

The film is based on William Shakespeare's "King Lear." It tells the story of an aging Sengoku-period warlord who decides to abdicate as ruler in favor of his three sons. What follows is sheer chaos as the sons begin a campaign of betrayal, destruction, and chaos. 

One of the reasons for the film's magnificence is its grandiose production design. Kurosawa had entire megastructures built, just to have them be burned down. The film ended up running over $12 million, which at the time made it the most expensive Japanese production ever produced. Over 1,400 uniforms and suits of armor were handmade by master tailors for over two years, over 200 horses were used, no miniatures were used, and filming took place amidst the mountains and plains of Mount Aso, Japan's largest active volcano. It's safe to say that production for the film was meticulous and intensely coordinated. 

I could really get into specifics about Kurosawa's direction, mise-en-scene, and use of color, however, I feel as though I'd be explaining why Mount Everest is the tallest mountain. It just is. And Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" just IS. It envelops you and takes you on a decent into madness and chaos. At a time when a nuclear holocaust was something considered in the 1980 during Cold War tensions, filmmakers were making films that communicated these fears and anxieties. "Ran" certainly iterates these fears by demonstrating something akin to a total apocalypse. It's a film that muses on chaos and destruction, as well as the pain and terror that comes from an absent face of God.

 


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