"Ran"-Akira Kurosawa-1985
Kurosawa began thinking about and planning this film in 1975. He was nominated for an Oscar as was his cinematographer, neither won. Peter O'Toole suggested Kurosawa make a King Lear. The writers of this script include Kurosawa and Shakespeare and two others. As Kurosawa tells it, originally the film was to be based on a 16th century daimyo, Mori Motonari. The incident in the film where he asks each of his three sons to break three arrows together is a story attached to Motonari. As he developed the story, he found the King Lear narrative becoming a larger part of the story. Kurosawa was in his middle seventies during filming, Motanari was 71 when he died. The historical character died of cancer and old age; there is no suggestion of insanity.
Kurosawa confronted many problems making this film. He was considered both too old fashioned and too Western in Japan. He couldn't raise the money for what promised to be a very expensive film with a risky local market. Serge Silverman found funding in Europe. The film original was released on DVD by Studio Canal. Thus this was a joint Franco-Japanese production. Kurosawa had begun drawings for the film 10 years before. Making the elaborate costumes took between 2 and 3 years. There were no miniatures used. The castle destroyed in the film was built for the film. The camera positions had to be perfect because signs of the 20th century were all around. The film used 1400 extras and 200 horses. Horses had to be imported from the United States.
The technical hurdles were not the only problem. Kurosawa was going blind. He had to rely on his production to realize his meticulous shots catalogued in his book of drawings. For a film director to lose his sight is like Beethoven losing his hearing. Ang Lee deals with a similar problem is "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman." Here a noted chef loses his sense of taste. Kurosawa's wife died during shooting; he only took one day off
Instead of three daughters like Lear; Hidetora has three sons: Toro, Jiro, and Saburo. The film opens with a boar hunt. Hidetora rejects eating the wily old boar killed in the hunt. The old meat will be too tough. There is a short discussion concerning Saburo's marriage. Hidetora falls asleep. Everyone else exits, but Hidetora dreams. When he awakes, he has decided to relinquish his power, but not his title and banner to his eldest son. Three sons will support each other, and if the three stay together, they will be unbreakable. This is shown by Hidetora giving each son three arrows together to try and break. Saburo, who argued that the plan is dangerous and unrealistic, breaks the three arrows after his brother fail. Saburo is banished.
Hidetora"s mental condition declines swiftly. Having him and his retinue at the first castle is untenable. The eldest son, Toro, is weak, but his wife , Lady Kende is reminiscent of Lady Macbeth. Hidetora murder her family, and the first castle used to be her family home. Hidetora leaves with his retinue for the second castle held by Jiro. He is already plotting against his brother. Hidetori is allowed to enterthe castle, but his retinue is kept outside the gate.
Hidetori leaves a journeys to the third castle with no lord in residence. Saburo is in exile, and his loyal troops vacate the castle. A battle for the third castle ensues. Hidetora's retinue is destroyed, his women commit suicide, and he is left alone. His madness is complete. There is a stunning scene where the crazed Hidetora exits the burning castle. He is framed with the castle as the backdrop and the two armies of his sons' with different color banners separated. They allow the insane great lord to walk away. He is discovered on the plain by Saburo's loyal retainer and the "Fool." Meanwhile back at the burning fort the eldest son is shot and killed by Jiro's retainer.
Ran is often translated as chaos. Hidetora's madness dooms everyone. The Fool (Pita) comments on the unfolding disaster. "Man is born crying, when he cries enough he dies," "In a mad world, only the mad are sane," and "Some people can get long without God, but everyone seems to need a devil." The fool is not native to Japan. This is one of the three stunning lead performances in the film. Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) is an incredibly difficult roe. It began with 4+ hours of makeup, but the variety of compelling facial expressions, movents, and tone of voice add up to a master work. Finally, Lady Kende (Myenko Harada) is riveting. The make-up is strange, but that is only the beginning. Talk about unleashing inner demons.
The film is often said to be set in medieval Japan. Historically, it is set in the mid 16th century, It actually has to be after 1543 when western muskets from Portugal arrived in Japan. Mori Motinari died in 1571. In western terms this is late Renaissance. Japan was still under the Shogunate which was trying to limit foreign contact.
This is available on Prime. This isn't my favorite Kurosawa opus, but at worst it is near great. The pace may bother some viewers. It slips from chaotic battles, to meanderings. The final image is troubling, a blind flute player narrowly avoids falling off a destroyed castle.