Ran DVD Review:

The levels in which Ran works are so multi-layered and deep that it takes an understanding of the production of the film to truly appreciate the film entirely. Akira Kurosawa made Ran in his later years, which is interesting considering the subject of the film. It is a film of beautiful scope as well as simplistic themes, with sweeping visuals filling every shot. The story is an old one, guaranteeing a higher level of quality as well.

In Ran, Kurosawa re-imagines William Shakespeare’s King Lear, a story about a king and his sons. This king decides to step down from his throne before death, giving his spot to his eldest son, only asking to remain as an advisor and have the same respect that he had as king. In the process of this decision, his youngest son tells his father that he thinks it to be a horrible decision. The king banishes his youngest son, only to find that he was the only one who was truly loyal. Once in power, the other sons fight and overthrow their father and watch other. They kill each other and many others in order to get power.

Kurosawa sets his version in sixteenth-century Japan, and the king is a clan leader for a group of samurai warriors. All of the details fall into place flawlessly in the new setting, and in some ways the story makes even more sense in a culture where honor is so important. Ran is built upon metaphors, and with each viewing there are new lessons to be learned in this bleak and somewhat pessimistic tale of humanity. It isn’t surprising to see the film’s main character go mad as events unfold, although it is deeply disturbing. It is ironic that a film this beautiful in contrast would be so horrific to watch, much in the way that Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition was.

The first disc of the two disc set contains the film in its newly restored high-definition transfer. The first disc also contains a detail and fact filled audio commentary by film scholar Stephen Prince. It is not an exciting or entertaining commentary, but he was a very good choice nonetheless. There is also an appreciation of the film by director Sidney Lumet and a series of theatrical trailers.

The second disc contains a great deal more as far as features; most worthy of mention is the full length documentary about the making of the film, A.K., by director Chris Marker. It is a very slow moving and thoughtful documentary, at times allowing the audience to simply observe moments of the shooting process without interruption. This may seem boring to some, but it is a worthy attempt considering the body of work that Kurosawa contributed to film. The other documentary of the making of Ran is much more traditional in the way it is set up, and it is only thirty minutes long. This documentary was originally made for the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create.

There are two other supplemental features, which are equally good, and also as slow and thought provoking as the film itself. There is a new video interview with actor Tatsuya Nakadai and a thirty-five minute video piece showing the film’s story through reconstruction of Kurosawa’s paintings and sketches which he made in preparation for shooting. It is an incredible look into the director’s process. It was compiled for the series Image: Kurosawa’s Continuity. There is also a twenty-eight page booklet insert with an essay by Michael Wilmington, interviews with the director and composer, and a number of breathtaking photos.



Ryan Izay