Chichester Cinema at New Park
Ran
For his 27th film, the 'sensei' of Japanese cinema, Akira Kurosawa, transposes Shakespeare's KING LEAR to feudal Japan.
Ran, which translates as 'chaos' or 'turmoil', is the tragic tale of Lord Hidetora, a warlord who decides to divide his empire among his three sons on the eve of his 70th birthday. Once the two eldest sons take control of the empire, they quickly turn on their father and begin vying for total control over the land. As Hidetora is banished from his own kingdom in a bloody battle, he must confront the consequences of his violent, ruthless past.
Ten years in the making, ‘Ran’ represents the culmination of Kurosawa's career by revisiting his skill at adapting Shakespeare, and displaying the cinematic splendour of his other landmark films such as ‘Seven Samurai’ and ‘Rashomon’. With its magnificent costumes, breathtaking settings, and amazingly photographed (in colour) battle sequences, the film is truly stunning. An epic on the grandest of scales, ‘Ran’ is not only one of Kurosawa's finest films, it is a glorious masterpiece of Japanese cinema. (subtitles)
Japan · 1985 · Akira Kurosawa · 160min
