About
Ran

Kurosawa’s Lear transfigures the play into an epic jidaigeki, echoing his enterprise with Macbeth in Throne of Blood. A splendid, distinguished adaptation, and an accomplished piece of filmmaking, period; the mise en scene having an air of such splendour, grace and tragedy. Nakadai lends an imperial presence in front of the camera, while Kurosawa does so behind it, with large-scale set pieces alongside scenes adept in intimating central themes, nuances (‘war begets war’). Well-rounded, fleshed out - truly an inspired translation.