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53 of 55 people found the following review helpful
By A LISTER
Format:DVD
The recent UK 2 disc edition (which isn't listed here yet despite the fact I've seen it in the shops) is an insult to our inteligence by being the dubbed version.
This US version in Japanesse with subs is a far superior edition and I'd urge all fans of the film in the UK to go for this instead.
Theres no region listed on the box and I've tried it in 3 players and it worked in all of them. I'm therefore pretty certain that this is an ALL REGION disc.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By JDB11
Format:DVD
Akira Kurasawa is a monolithic figure in world cinema and this film is in my view his very best work. The story, as is well known, is simply a reworking of Shakespeare's King Lear. The Great Lord decides to abdicate and divide his empire between his three sons, one of whom says this is madness as greed will destroy the family and is promptly exiled. Kurasawa brilliantly captures the melodrama at the centre of Shakespeare's play and lays it on thick. There is no subtly to the acting or the plot, as this is not faithful to the material, but the spirit is well realised.
It is the quite simply breathtaking cinematography that really makes this stand out. From shots of mounted samurai on the green and otherworldly slopes of mount Fuji to the beautiful castle interiors Kurasawa paints a wonderful picture. The colours are vibrant and the shot composition is extremely clever. I am personally most impressed by the first lavish battle scene which conveys the horror of war and its brutality so vividly with blood running from the castle walls and storms of arrows. This however, is no simple battle as you would find in a hollywood film. Eerie music plays over the top and troops are portrayed running backwards and forwards in such a way as to give the impression of the noise and activity of the battle without actually showing it.
Ran is also a wonderful advert for the extreme folly of war. King Lear is quite bleak, but Kurasawa's imagining of this element is heart wrenching. The way that the film reaches its conclusion and each character is killed off is deeply moving, and perhaps the final shot of the one character who survives is the worst of all.
If you are looking for a clever innovative plot then this is not the sort of film to look out for.... Read more ›
It is the quite simply breathtaking cinematography that really makes this stand out. From shots of mounted samurai on the green and otherworldly slopes of mount Fuji to the beautiful castle interiors Kurasawa paints a wonderful picture. The colours are vibrant and the shot composition is extremely clever. I am personally most impressed by the first lavish battle scene which conveys the horror of war and its brutality so vividly with blood running from the castle walls and storms of arrows. This however, is no simple battle as you would find in a hollywood film. Eerie music plays over the top and troops are portrayed running backwards and forwards in such a way as to give the impression of the noise and activity of the battle without actually showing it.
Ran is also a wonderful advert for the extreme folly of war. King Lear is quite bleak, but Kurasawa's imagining of this element is heart wrenching. The way that the film reaches its conclusion and each character is killed off is deeply moving, and perhaps the final shot of the one character who survives is the worst of all.
If you are looking for a clever innovative plot then this is not the sort of film to look out for.... Read more ›
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By Jenny J.J.I.
Format:DVD
"Ran" is the first film I've watched by Akira Kurosawa. Now I'm a huge fan of his work thanks to my Amazonian friends who had already seen it. When a legend like Kurosawa, does a King Lear adaptation at the tender age of 75, one would expect a small-scale film concentrating on the human elements of the story. That he produced an epic of such proportions makes a further evaluation of the great man's contribution to cinema necessary.
"Ran" is set in medieval Japan and follows the basic King Lear narrative closely. Lord Hidetora is an aging warlord and, wanting a peaceful retirement, decides to divide his kingdom up amongst his three sons. After banishing the youngest, Saburo, for pouring scorn on the idea, Hidetora finds himself an unwanted obstacle to the older two. After repeated humiliations, pride forces Hidetora into vain wanderings on the open plain, his state of mind declining as rapidly as his entourage.
The film sets itself the unenviable task of trying to explain the precarious position man holds within the universe. Man is seen to be elevating himself to such a level that he dreams of challenging the very laws of nature. Hidetora has achieved his status through deception, callousness and violence; his notion to wash away the blood he has spilt in happy retirement is scornfully thrown back by the elements. The speed and manner in which he is forced to lie in the bed he has made for himself should serve as a warning to all.
The films large set pieces, particularly two quite stunning battle sequences, are staged magnificently, but 'Ran' is no empty epic. The characters and their motivations are fully explored and the tension built up by the dialogue fully compliments the action.... Read more ›
"Ran" is set in medieval Japan and follows the basic King Lear narrative closely. Lord Hidetora is an aging warlord and, wanting a peaceful retirement, decides to divide his kingdom up amongst his three sons. After banishing the youngest, Saburo, for pouring scorn on the idea, Hidetora finds himself an unwanted obstacle to the older two. After repeated humiliations, pride forces Hidetora into vain wanderings on the open plain, his state of mind declining as rapidly as his entourage.
The film sets itself the unenviable task of trying to explain the precarious position man holds within the universe. Man is seen to be elevating himself to such a level that he dreams of challenging the very laws of nature. Hidetora has achieved his status through deception, callousness and violence; his notion to wash away the blood he has spilt in happy retirement is scornfully thrown back by the elements. The speed and manner in which he is forced to lie in the bed he has made for himself should serve as a warning to all.
The films large set pieces, particularly two quite stunning battle sequences, are staged magnificently, but 'Ran' is no empty epic. The characters and their motivations are fully explored and the tension built up by the dialogue fully compliments the action.... Read more ›
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
This import Studio Canal is no better than an upscaled DVD. Detail is lost, or non-existent. I had hopes for this transfer since Criterion lost the rights to remaster and this appears, no, shows, that the DVD master was transfered directly to Bluray.
Don't waste your money if you have the DVD. Criterion is one of the few who values quality. Hopefully, Criterion will have rights to remaster this great work properly. The film's opening credits are fuzzy yet the English subtitles are sharp. I believe Studio Canal used the original DVD master and only upgraded the subtitles for this release. I suspected that this would be the situation when I haven't seen any feedback about this release. I will think twice before I pre-order again.
Criterion's excellent release of "In The Realm of the Senses" makes this Studio Canal transfer look worse than Gladiator. I truly regret paying so much for an import that isn't a true highdef product. This total disregard for quality is what makes the average person think that paying extra for high def when this is the result is foolish, and they are correct when this is an example of what is being released.
Avoid at all costs and hope for a Criterion release.
My setup:
47" 1080P LCD
Panasonic BD30 and Momitsu Bluray
Oppo 983H DVD
Onkyo 605 HDMI HD Receiver
Definitive Technology Speakers and Subwoofer's
Sitting 6.5 feet away from the screen.
Don't waste your money if you have the DVD. Criterion is one of the few who values quality. Hopefully, Criterion will have rights to remaster this great work properly. The film's opening credits are fuzzy yet the English subtitles are sharp. I believe Studio Canal used the original DVD master and only upgraded the subtitles for this release. I suspected that this would be the situation when I haven't seen any feedback about this release. I will think twice before I pre-order again.
Criterion's excellent release of "In The Realm of the Senses" makes this Studio Canal transfer look worse than Gladiator. I truly regret paying so much for an import that isn't a true highdef product. This total disregard for quality is what makes the average person think that paying extra for high def when this is the result is foolish, and they are correct when this is an example of what is being released.
Avoid at all costs and hope for a Criterion release.
My setup:
47" 1080P LCD
Panasonic BD30 and Momitsu Bluray
Oppo 983H DVD
Onkyo 605 HDMI HD Receiver
Definitive Technology Speakers and Subwoofer's
Sitting 6.5 feet away from the screen.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Betrayed by his own vassal
Ran is a story of a 70 year old warlord and his three sons. The film begins with The old warrior giving power and control over the land to one of his sons
Ran is a... Read more
Ran is a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bobby Klump
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful, and memorable.
Based on Shakespeare's `King Lear', this 1985 film is made on the grand scale, with a host of extras, huge sets, and eye-popping visuals. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. P. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ran rocks!
An excellent film on its own; a superb Japanese re-interpetation of King Lear.
A bloody and psychological thriller from start to finish.
A bloody and psychological thriller from start to finish.
Published 4 months ago by Darrin Corkum
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good film
I bought this book for my husband as It never seemed to be shown on cable anymore...
Highly recommended....
thanks
Highly recommended....
thanks
Published 5 months ago by Artdeco
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another of the best. A film for your eyes especially.
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. Read more
Published 10 months ago by I. S. GRAINGER-ALLEN
5.0 out of 5 stars
first rate classic
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... Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2011 by rob crawford
3.0 out of 5 stars
never trust a woman
Interesting story of the era. Power and women can both corrupt and honour is everything.
Starts well and some of the acting is very good, I really enjoy the lead female. Read more
Starts well and some of the acting is very good, I really enjoy the lead female. Read more
Published on 27 May 2011 by EGGY6198
5.0 out of 5 stars
oh!, the intrigue!!.
Quite simply, this film has it all, spadefulls of action, intrigue, betrayal, family fueds, heartache and a vengeful woman. Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2009 by C. L. Vidler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kurosawa's Ran
This copy of Kurosawa's Ran was very reasonably priced and brand new. I needed a copy of the film because I was teaching it for a university course in adaptations of Shakespeare,... Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2009 by J. Chandler
5.0 out of 5 stars
There were no winners
Massively powerful. Brilliantly photographed. Directing so many extras must have been a Herculean task. Awesomely violent battles. Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2009 by Mr. D. L. Eldridge
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