RAN (1985)

Cast

Plot

Ran, Kurosawa's last great epic, is a Jidaigeki (Japanese period drama) depicting the fall of Hidetora Ichimonj, an ageing Sengoku-era warlord who abdicates as ruler in favor of his three sons. His kingdom slowly disintegrates as the sons struggle for power, murdering rivals and laying waste to the land, and Hidetora goes insane after watching his retainers slaughtered in an epic massacre, the centrepiece of the film. As the kingdom crumbles and rival warlords move in for the kill, the Ichimonji clan collapses in a frenzy of revenge and betrayal as old scores are finally settled. The story is based on legends of the daimyo Mori Motonari, as well as on the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear, and was hailed for its powerful images and use of color, costume designer Emi Wada won an Academy Award for Costume Design. The distinctive film score, written by Toru Takemitsu, plays in isolation with the normal sound muted, particularly as Hidetora's castle is destroyed.