Ran 1985
I think it is interesting that there could be big Japanese epic that came out in 1984. It just seems like this should be a much older movie. And in many ways it is timeless. It is a Japanese movie produced partly by the French based on Shakespeare’s King Lear. The plot concerns an aging king who has been a great and ruthless conqueror who abdicates his throne to his sons, giving the power of the crown to his eldest son and asking the other two to support him. He demonstrates how one arrow is easily broken but three bound together are much stronger (a disgruntled son proceeds to break the three arrows).
There are huge battle scenes with hundreds of horses. You have to think that something like this will never be made again since all those horses could be duplicated digitally now. And yet the production is first rate since it is still a modern movie (more recent than Star Wars).
One thing about Shakespeare is that people always want to throw the original language in there. The stories are good and really would be better, I’ve always thought, if they would update the language. With a Japanese version that’s no problem. They just translate the dialog from Japanese to modern English. Sure you miss stuff like “My kingdom for a horse” but how can you say that without being hokey?
Admired as one of the greatest movies of all time, I have to say I was a little disappointed at the slow pace, weird makeup (the old king looks like he walked right off a high school stage), and gullible weak men. But it is a classic story with many layers of jealousy and deception. Also the big battle scenes are fun to watch.
I’ll give this movie a begrudging A- for the great story but I have to take off some for the bad makeup and on-location shots. And, while with any foreign movie it’s hard to gauge the level of the acting without understanding the language, it seemed a little overdone.
Written: 10 Sep 2003
Owned on: Digital