Ran

Ran takes film spectacle to new heights. Kurosawa continues not only to extend his own powers but to exploit new technical advances.

There is not a wasted second. [Here] is proof of what we seldom doubted: Kurosawa is a director who becomes godlike rather than gaga in old age.

Kurosawa may not be Shakespeare, but with images like these, he gets at something about the horror -- and hopelessness -- of being a man that is peculiarly his own.

One can never be short of things to look at while Kurasawa's Ran is in the world.

A magisterial achievement.

Prepare your eyes to be gouged (this is a King Lear adaptation, after all).

Rereleased by StudioCanal to celebrate Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary, his breathtaking adaptation of King Lear proves, so far at least, to be as immune to the effects of time as the original

“Ran” stands as a cross-cultural testament to timeless storytelling, where Kurosawa's indomitable spirit shapes a profound meditation on power, chaos, and the enduring resonance of Shakespearean influence.

Kurosawa is not merely true to Shakespeare’s story, he brings scenes alive with a cultural twist and a visual mastery...

Ran makes miraculous use of color, and has a feel to it that only Kurosawa could accomplish.