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Ran is directed by Akira Kurosawa and was originally
released in 1985. The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Daisuke
Ryu, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Peter, and Mieko Harada.
Toru Takemitsu composed the film's score. ***
Ran is the tale of Hidetora, an aging Japanese warlord.
He spent his younger years diving and conquering kingdoms,
making many friends and enemies in the process. In his old
age, Hidetora steps down as ruler of the castles he has
taken over, deciding to give an equal share of his domain
to his 3 sons. His youngest son warns him that this is a
foolhardy decision that will only bring chaos - but he banishes
said son for speaking his mind. It isn't long before those
words come back to haunt Hidetora - as his two remaining
sons quickly find themselves at war with one another, due
in no small part to the manipulation of a woman whose family
and domain were conquered by Hidetora. ***
Ran was not the final film made by Kurosawa, however
it was the last big-budget Feudal Japan epic he would ever
direct. Even at age 75, Kurosawa proved he could still direct
a massive-scale masterpiece of a film. ***
Ran is a film about the evil of men, and how even men
who aim to rid their lives of an unfavorable past are unable
to escape it. Hidetora is a man who, in his advanced age,
sees the horrors of what he has done so many years before.
But even stepping down from his position of rule doesn't
get him away from these horrors. History repeats itself
through his sons, who were no doubt raised in a life where
conquering and leading on the battlefield meant everything,
who couldn't lead any other kind of life. It is a film that
looks at mankind's dark side like no other. ***
The film has a run time of 162 minutes, and I won't
deny that it feels excessive at times. But despite this,
the movie will hold your attention throughout. You will
care about the plight that is unleashed on these characters,
and the inevitable tragedies that result from Hidetora's
old life. This was Kurosawa's swan song, and a beautiful
song it is. ***
Criterion had previously released Ran as an SD disc
a few years back. They were set to release a Blu-Ray version
of the film in May of 2009. But they lost the rights back
to StudioCanal, who have since released this Blu-Ray version
of the movie. ---
Image And Sound:
Disappointingly, the transfer here leaves a lot to
be desired. Throughout, the image is blurry and lacks detail.
It is clear that StudioCanal has used enhancements on the
transfer, and while it is an upgrade from SD discs, it won't
be the upgrade die-hard fans of the film are likely looking
for. If you're asking me if you should upgrade based on
the quality of the transfer alone, my answer is a simple
“no.” It makes me wonder if, had Criterion been allowed
to release the movie, would it have looked any better? But
alas, we shall never know. ***
The new lossless audio track holds together better than
the picture quality on this release, but even it tends to
leave something to be desired. Don't come in here expecting
a track that can compete with the best of vintage films
on Blu-Ray; you won't be getting it. But it is a good track
and I don't imagine it could have sounded much better.
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