Ran (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

While Ran is a great film in itself, the Blu-ray Disc edition from StudioCanal is not scanned and presented in high-resolution. It appears that the video transfer for their original DVD home video edition has been dusted off and up-converted for this release. The results are not at all what collectors would expect from a Blu-ray Disc. The visuals look better than a DVD would but not by much, with slightly smeary picture details that are likely the result of digital noise reduction to remove film grain and older compression artifacts and visible remnants of vintage edge sharpening. The only thing in high-resolution are the translation subtitles. I actually prefer watching my copy of The Criterion Collection DVD over this disc. I hold on to this BD mostly for the supplementary content. My advise is to wait for a new Blu-ray Disc edition that has been mastered from a true 4K high-resolution scan.

Studiocanal should be embarrassed. To treat a classic like Ran this way. If I wanted to take a trip down memory lane I would have just watched my vhs of Ran. Studiocanal put a vhs camera in front of a tube television, set it to slp, recorded it, digitized it, burned it to a Blu-ray disc, kicked grandma down a flight of stairs, just so we could enjoy Akira Kurosawa's Ran in Studiocanal's Crapvision. Thanks Studiocanal, next time I'll skip buying one of your products and just burn the money on the grill. Maybe next you can try your hand at restoring the Mona Lisa with Crayola Crayons and a flamethrower. Studiocanal's Blu-ray of Akira Kurosawa's Ran reviewed. Don't, just don't.

I am not one who tends to review movies as a critique. This movie has some of the best cinematography I have ever seen in my life! Awe inspiring shots of massive Japanese castles(idk what they are called) and huge battles between clans. Fantastic acting and great dialogue. This sounds like a 5star review right? Nope. There are some movies whose subject matter are so brutal and heart shattering that I don’t want to watch them because my heart breaks for the characters. This is compounded with the near perfect portrayal of these events so that when you see it on film it seems like it really happened. The fact that this movie was a tragedy(genre) escaped me when purchasing this film(oops). Is this movie great, yes! Will I ever watch it again, no!!! Call it what you want but I can only take so much betrayal and cruelty in a piece of entertainment. Do you want to watch movies like Ran or shows like Game of Thrones where 99% of the characters are evil, everyone betrays each other, and the one or two good people are murdered, maimed, or tortured. It’s supposed to be entertaining right? I used to eat this stuff up when I was younger(dark depressing stories), but as I get older I find I have little to no tolerance for them. Mini rant over...

The name Akira Kurosawa isn't as well known in North America as it should be. Japan's equivalent of Steven Spielberg or Francis Coppola made masterpiece after masterpiece in a career spanning most of the 20th Century, and surely, "Ran" (which I now know translates roughly to "chaos") has to be his all-time best film.Inspired by Shakespere's "King Lear" and the bloody inter-clan warfare of Japan's feudal era, the story follows an old duke, who, having decided to retire, foolishly divides up his domain between his three grown sons. What he doesn't realize is that the two younger sons, dissatisfied with their share, want the whole kit-n-kaboodle for themselves and leave the old man with nothing, not even a sword to commit seppuku. Harsh words are spoken, armies are raised, allies are double-crossed, backs are stabbed (often quite literally), all leading up to the largest pre-CGI battle scene ever filmed...and the movie's not even half-over yet!This movie is awesome, period. The seige of Castle Hidetora would require a far better writer than myself to give the scene justice; you'll just have to watch it for yourself. In regards to the DVD itself, I would like to have had at least some more bonus features and an English language audio track (the film is subtitled), but, beggars can't be choosers, right? Even if you aren't a fan of this genre, don't let this one pass by.

Ran is a stunning, beautiful film. I watched it on Friday night, then again Saturday afternoon.Well, as all the other reviews say, it's a masterpiece. It's a great adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. It's style is somewhat theatrical: the makeup and costumes, use of color, camera viewpoint is often set like one is watching a stage play. Though, there is also a beautiful display and use of the landscape in the story telling. The battle scenes with hundreds of cavalry were thrilling, something that no one would do today. (Now they'd use CGI.). I really enjoyed the extra features, the "making of" video.My only regret is that I didn't get the Blu-ray version. (Though, since it was made on film and not high res, there may not be a big difference in the picture between DVD and Blu-ray.). If you like Japanese cinema, and or Shakespeare, it's a film you will enjoy.a

When I first watched Ran many years ago I sat there transfixed, absorbing every word, every painful moment, almost suffocating in the non-stop tension and sorrow. As far as I'm concerned, Ran was and is the definition of an 'Epic' movie. Although, I admit I am a huge Kurosawa fan so....yes.....very biased. For those who have panned this film, I hope you have the patience to give it another go or watch one of Kurosawa's other classics such as Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ikiru, Yojimbo.....to many to list but worth the time if you appreciate film.

I noted some other reviews about the quality of the Blue Ray, but decided as I have heard so much about this film I had to purchase it anyway, and I'm not disappointed in any way.Kurosawa's final epic film is just a master class , a truly incredible piece of cinema. The opening shots of the horsemen, with a huge landscape behind them, clue's you into what the director is trying to achieve in making a version of King Lear. This play is regarded as a tour de force in theatre and one which only experienced actors attempt, so Kurosawa was making a brave choice in making this film, which was his last.He made an incredible version of Macbeth in 'Throne of Blood', itself regarded at the time as the best film to capture Shakespeare. Amazingly, I would argue that Kurosawa managed to better himself.Its majestic, in its cinematography, characterisation, even changing Lear's daughters into Son's, but still retaining the plays essential story of the corruption of power and its destructive effect on a dynasty. The battle scenes are almost beautiful to watch, Kurosawa obviously using Japanese paintings from the period as an inspiration.I judge how good a film on how it keeps me enthralled, and I can say that RAN did that easily. In fact I watched the whole thing, never moving from my seat once. Its a magnificent film, a true classic of cinema from any country and equal to any of the great directors such as Kubrick or Lean. Kurosawa manages to take one of Shakespeare's more difficult plays and makes it easily accessible, which is helped by his choice of an excellent cast.Its a film that is still resonating in my mind and I watched it two weeks ago. If you are a true film lover, RAN has to be in your collection, its an incredible swan song, from a director even in his own lifetime, was a huge influence on so many others.

I saw this when it was released and have wanted to own it ever since. This is Kurosawa's great late masterpiece, a summing up of the themes in his entire oeuvre - war, power, self destruction, history - in an unforgettable retelling of Lear, but with deep references to Japanese culture. I watched this with my son (12), both in a state of utter fascination at the panorama of life and death in this long film. (He was full of questions!) It was an utter delight.***spoiler alert*** I assume the reader knows the story already.The story takes place in the 16C or so, a time of upheaval and disorder worldwide. An old war lord has spent his life ruthlessly crushing enemies nearby, stopping at nothing in his striving to dominate. Perhaps as a result of his deteriorating mind, perhaps out of guilt at the terrible things he has done, he makes a catastrophically stupid decision - to divide the power of his armies between his sons in order to retire. Only one son opposes this course of action, which his father finds violently offensive. The son is banished, along with a faithful aide.Almost immediately, the two remaining sons begin to flex their muscles, first by humiliating their father - denying him access to their castles with his reduced entourage - and then by besieging him. This is one of the most horribly graphic war scenes I have ever seen, hiding nothing of the blood and meaningless deaths. The father begins to lose his mind, paralyzed in despair and appearing like a popular demon with his ashen face. Once his forces are annihilated and his concubines have committed suicide, he stumbles out of the burning palace. Having been rejoined by the faithful servant and the eunuch court jester, the only refuge he finds is in a filthy shack that houses a boy he blinded years before. This is just one of the past crimes that revisits the war lord, who sees the irony through his psychotic despair.As soon as the sons are rid of him, they turn on eachother. Here, there is a scheming wife, whose family we learn was murdered by war lord soon after his son married her for the purposes of alliance. She is a Shakespearean character, waiting years for revenge and then executing it at exactly the right time to perfection. She sows destruction on an unimaginable scale. As the war lord his last son, the faithful one, the tragedy is complete.This is one of the best films I have ever seen, by far the most intense war film. Its psychology is also realistic, with the self-destructive decision of a father full of guilt. Recommended with the greatest enthusiasm.

This is an excellent film, with an impressive scenario and extraordinary visual aspects. Below, more of my impressions with some SPOILERS.PRECISION: this is the review of double disc special edition DVD from 2006. I found the technical quality of image and sound satisfying - but as I don't own any other versions, I can not compare it with Blu-ray, etc. Therefore this is just a review of the film itself.In 1957 Kurosawa surprised and impressed the whole world with "Throne of Blood", an extraordinary adaptation of "Macbeth" transposed to feudal Japan. In 1985, for what was to be his last major film, he recidived, this time with "King Lear". But with the progress of technology this time he was able to produce not only a great tragedy but also a great show!The story is initially quite similar with that of "King Lear". The main character's name is Lord Hidetora, the head of clan Ichimonji. He is played by the great Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai. Hidetora was born as first son of a samurai lord who owned a little castle. From the age of 17 he fought many wars and he finally conquered a large domain, controlled by three powerful fortresses. But Hidetora is now aged 70 and he is weary of wars - therefore he decides to abdicate in favor if his oldest son, Taro Takatora Ichimonji.Taro will therefore become the leader of the clan and master of the First Castle. His younger brothers, Jiro Masatora Ichimonji and Saburo Naotora Ichimonji, will support him as masters respectively of Second and Third castles. Hidetora will keep 30 samurai as his escort and the honorific title of Great Lord - he will reside successively with his sons. Hidetora orders his sons to always remain united against all adversities. Two neigboring daimyos, Nobuhiro Fujimaki and Seiji Ayabe, are witnesses of this arrangement.But the youngest brother, Saburo, as well as one of main retainers, Tango Hirayama, both object and ask Hidetora to reconsider and stay in power. Enraged by the rude language and defiance of his son, the old leader banishes them both. That covers about 15 first minutes and from there the story really begins...It is hardly a spoiler to say that the story is a horrible tragedy - after all, it is a piece of Shakespeare transposed in the world of the samurai and directed by Kurosawa... But, unlike some "professional" critics, I absolutely don't consider this film as nihilistic! Withour revealing too much, I think that here the main message is the punishment for sins: the greater is the sin, the most terrifying is the punishment. And as we will quickly learn, old Hidetora and his vassals accumulated quite a lot of deadly sins in the last 50 years...The heavenly retribution against the Ichimonji clan will come mostly through the iron will and determination of an exceptional woman, Lady Kaede, played impressively by Mieko Harada... Indeed, it could be said in this case, "hell hath no fury as a woman wronged..." Many reviewers considered her character as "evil" and that certainly is one way to see the things - but what I saw was first and before anything else a woman hurt and harmed as cruelly as it is possible, who with patience, intelligence and absolute determination will avenge her loved ones by bringing ruin to all her enemies in such a comprehensive way, that they will not only be destroyed in this world but also damned in the next one! And honestly, once I realised all the evil crimes the Ichimonji clan perpetrated in 50 years, her revenge is also a case of justice served! In this point Kurosawa changed very significantly the whole sense of the story, because in the original Shakespeare piece King Lear is mostly an innocent wronged - well, here it is NOT the case...Two other impressive characters are Hidetora's fool, played by Japanese actor and dancer Peter and Shuri Kurogane, the most capable of Ichinoji clan retainers - a ruthless, brutal and cunning character, but not devoided of at least some human feelings. On the other hand, Saburo, the third son of Hidetora, who as equivalent of Cordelia character is supposedly "the good guy", well, notwithstanding his devotion to his father, I didn't care much for him, considering that by his sheer stupidity he kept making bad things worse...Another messages of this film are basically the repetition of some well known truths:- there is no fool as an old fool- quem Deus vult perdere, dementat prius- pride is the greatest and WORST of all deadly sins- anger is a bad advisor- most men can think only with what they have between legs - not with what they have inside their skulls...- when you are on the run, RUN! Even if you are Bruce Willis, DON'T come back to your place for your dad's watch - because Vincent Vega will not stay in this toilet forever...- when travelling through hostile lands with your soldiers, NEVER forget to send a vanguard, even if it is only one guy; it REALLY helps...The samurai battles in "Ran" are absolutely impressive, even if you should not expect too much realism about tactics - in many scenes there is a lot people running around absolutely nowhere and doing nothing useful. In fact Kurosawa used samurai armies as impressionists used colors and shapes - taken separately and looked upon closely the picture seems to be chaotic. Seen from a certain distance and as a whole, the effect is much, much more interesting.Bottom line, this is an excellent film, a masterpiece, providing both a matter for reflection and a feast for eyes. I loved it when I saw it in cinema long time ago and it was a delight to re-discover it again. To buy, watch and keep. Enjoy!

ONe of Kurosawa's best films. Epic and intimate at the same time, with a dramatic progression that explodes in the battles of the second half, and a almost sacred overall atmosphere that is really hypnotic. To be watched with attention in order to really enjoy it. It is a lot visual, with few yet relevant dialogues. Maybe Kurosawa is the only director in the world that can make a film with big scenes and introspective moments, with the same amazing ability. Of course it is not an easy film but if you win your viewing habits it will turn the vision into a discovery and enlightening experience. Sometimes, especially when we talk about cinema like that, it is refreshing to watch something different. The dvd is ok but take the blu ray: stunning

RAN is a visual feast. The effort and care put into costume and props makes this worth the film alone. You could even watch it as a fashion show in isolation.But of course it is much more than this.Apparently it is based on King Lear - I've not read this so can't comment. This is a long film but it never feels ponderous. The battle scenes are shot with an impressive sense of scale and movement although I think that the musketry seems a bit rapid-fire at times and the blood a bit 'red-paint'. The court-room/inside scenes are measured and exact and the idea of developing madness or senility is very believable.Akiro Kurosawa rocks.