REVIEW: DVD Release: Rashomon

Film: Rashomon
Year of production: 1950
UK Release date: 13th October 2008
Distributor: Optimum
Certificate: 12
Running time: 88 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese

Review by: Colin-John Gardner

The amalgamation of two of prominent writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s short stories, Rashomon is perhaps the greatest and most influential piece of work by the grand doyen of Japanese filmmaking Akira Kurosawa. The film was an international triumph, and helped usher Japanese cinema onto western audiences, as well as gaining Kurosawa worldwide recognition.

Rashomon opens during a heavy storm at the forbidding and damaged remnants of Rashomon Gate in 11th century Japan. As the rain pounds away, a priest (Minoru Chiaki) and a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura) sit in utter distress, pondering the horrors they have just witnessed. Soon enough, a commoner (Kichijiro Ueda), running into the ruins for cover from the violent conditions, approaches the men and queries them on their troubles. The woodcutter divulges that he had recently found the body of samurai (Masayuki Mori) who was supposedly murdered by a bandit (Toshiro Mifune), and that he and the priest had just returned from the murder trial in relation to it.

The film then cuts to the inquest, where the bandit Tajomaru recites his version of the events leading up to the samurai’s death through a subjective flashback. Following his testimony, the wife of the murdered samurai (Machiko Kyo), as well as the samurai himself, albeit through the use of a medium, deliver their accounts of the story to the court, again shown through biased flashbacks. Each story presented is exceedingly different except for the rather decisive point of the person in question admitting to committing the murder, or in the case of the samurai, committing suicide.

However, despite admitting to ultimately being responsible for the crime, each character has a somewhat explicit reason for wanting to deceive the court. After the testimonies are heard, the story cuts back to Rashomon Gate, where the ostensibly objective woodcutter gives his versions of the events. However, even his truth may be apocryphal…


The idea of subjectivity is the most important facet of Rashomon. As each version of the tale is told, the viewer is presented with the character’s skewed truth in the form of a flashback. In the context of the time, this was a truly remarkable and astonishingly original innovation to put into a film, as questioning the verisimilitude of a scene would be thought of as unimportant or utterly superfluous. In essence, Rashomon showed that the camera was not inerrant, and that it too could present a falsehood or be the victim of circumstance. The film’s main purpose, then, is to question the veracity of statements as it furiously dissects the nature of communication.

The acting performances within the film are, at times, somewhat extraordinary. During the flashback scenes, the performers play their characters in a rather eccentric way and their behaviour is often analogous to that of silent film acting. The idiosyncratic touching and perpetual frenzied gaze of the bandit Tajomaru, as well as the animated movements and outlandish howls of laughter by the wife of the samurai, are just some of the examples of the radical facial movements and exaggerated gestures employed in the performances within the film. This makes Rashomon beautifully expressive and is a testament to Kurosawa’s direction.

Despite not being one of Kurosawa’s most extravagant films in its appearance, the film still possesses some striking cinematography, as well as exotic locations and mise-en-scène. Kazuo Miyagawa, the film’s cinematographer, is one of the chief reasons for this. Some of the shots used in the film are truly wonderful; the desolate ruins of Rashomon Gate being pounded by the power of the rain at the beginning of the film is a specific example that creates an immediate atmosphere of intrigue. One of the most unforgettable aspects of the film is the woodcutter’s walk through the jungle in the first flashback. Here, Miyagawa points the camera into the sky as the woodcutter moves. The sun, shining through shrubbery and high trees above, is a marvellous aesthetic thrill that stands to be the most memorable sequence in the film for its subtle beauty.

Despite moderate domestic success at the time, the film was never seen as anything close to a revelation until it was shown overseas. Winning the 1951 Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival cemented its critical achievements as it was the first non-European film to win the award. Rashomon also paved the way for western audiences to experience Japanese films and allowed Kurosawa the freedom to create more influential pieces of work in the future as well as giving the auteur international prominence.


Technically proficient and beautiful in its aesthetics, as well as intelligent and profound in its story, Rashomon is genuinely a cinema classic and is Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus. Showcasing a narrative style that would go on to influence cinema to the point of being to some extent common, Kurosawa’s film asks a universal question to which we are challenged to query the very nature of the truth. CJG

NEWS: DVD Release: Early Kurosawa

Released on DVD for the first time in the UK, these six films from legendary auteur Akira Kurosawa were made at the start of his career and demonstrate the emergence of a profoundly influential directorial vision, whose endless admirers range from Fellini and Bertolucci to Spielberg and Lucas.

This fascinating collection, which contains six films across four DVDs, spans 1943 to 1947 and features Sanshuro Sugata, Sanshuro Sugata Part Two, The Most Beautiful, They Who Step On The Tiger's Tail, No Regrets For Our Youth and One Wonderful Sunday. The films have been transferred to High Definition from the best available film elements and are packaged with a fully illustrated booklet featuring essays by Philip Kemp.

Sanshuro Sugata (Sugata Sanshiro)
Kurosawa's assured debut about a young man's spiritual journey through the study and practice of judo.

Sanshuro Sugata Part Two (Zoku Sugata Sanshiro)
This sequel reunites most of the principal cast from the original and follows Sanshiro face a new set of enemies whilst continuing his quest to become a judo master.

The Most Beautiful (Ichiban utsukushiku)
An artful propaganda film that anticipates the social realism of Kurosawa's post-war films, The Most Beautiful provides a fascinating portrait of female volunteer workers in an optics factory manufacturing lenses for binoculars and gunsights.

They Who Step On The Tiger's Tail (Tora no o o fumu otokotachi)
Adapted from Noh and Kabuki theatre, this classic tale of deception sees a lord and his bodyguard disguise themselves as monks to bypass an enemy roadblock.

No Regrets For Our Youth (Waga seishun ni kuinashi)
Kurosawa's first post-war film stars Ozu regular Setsuko Hara as Yukie, a privileged daughter of a professor who takes a soul-searching journey through rural Japan and comes to question her values.

One Wonderful Sunday (Subarashiki nichiyobi)
A bitter-sweet story of young love set in the devastation of post-war Tokyo reminiscent of Frank Capra's social realist comedies.

Film: Early Kurosawa
Release date: 28th March 2011
Certificate: 12
Running time: 523 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Denjirô Ôkôchi, Susumu Fujita, Yukiko Todoroki, Takashi Shimura, Soji Kiyokawa
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance/Thriller
Studio: BFI
Format: DVD
Country: Japan

REVIEW: DVD Release: Seven Samurai

Film: Seven Samurai
Release date: 22nd November 2009
Certificate: PG
Running time: 207 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Studio: BFI
Format: DVD
Country: Japan

One of the most influential films ever made, this towering masterpiece has been remade numerous times, and its grand sense of adventure has been endlessly copied by Western filmmakers. Its enduring popularity is thanks in no small part to Akira Kurosawa’s masterful direction and a wonderful ensemble cast, including Kurosawa muse Toshiro Mifune.

After discovering that a group of bandits will attack them when the rice harvest is ready, a poor mountain village resolves to stop them at all cost. Too weak and scared to take on the bandits themselves, village elder Gisaku suggests they hire samurai to do the job for them.

Hiring a group of samurai that are willing to work with only food as payment is difficult, but eventually the villagers assemble seven warriors to help them. After rescuing a child without taking payment, a ronin named Kambei becomes the first recruit, along with his young follower Katsushiro. They are later joined by Katayama, Shichiroji, Gorobai, Heihachi, Kyuzo and Kikuchiyo, a false samurai who proves himself worthy of a place in the group.

Initially met with fear and skepticism, the samurai soon earn the respect of the village. They set about building defences and training the villagers in preparation for a climactic battle with the marauding bandits…


Seminal is a term used far too often in critical journalism. Its use suggesting that the majority of industry output stems from some other grand, influential work. The films of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, however, can truly be described as seminal - the legacy of his films stretching far and wide in cinema, an influence that has lasted for decades. Seven Samurai is perhaps his most enduring classic, with its universal story and clutch of successful remakes (The Magnificent Seven, A Bugs Life), it has managed to remain fresh in the collective conscious for over fifty years.

The progenitor of countless adventures featuring a ragtag bunch of heroes defending the innocent from evil doers, the story is beautifully simplistic, yet rife with moral complexity. The villagers are initially victims, pushed to their very limits by the prospect of exploitation at the hands of the bandits. Yet when the samurai arrive to help, their initial reaction is mistrust and resentment. Later, a heartfelt speech from Kikuchio reveals the true nature of both himself and the seemingly frightened farmers.

The film is full of dark moments that serve to offset the lighter tone of the story. Moments of levity, like the youngest samurai’s affair with one of the villagers, are in close proximity to darker scenes like an elderly villager wreaking brutal vengeance on a captured bandit.

The cast is superb throughout, particularly the samurai, who are all given vignettes of exposition and moments to shine. Standouts include group leader Kambei and the stoic swordsmen Kyuzo (it’s a testament to the 1960 remake that Yul Brynner and James Coburn excelled in the same roles).

The star of the film, of course, is Toshiro Mifune, who gives an outstanding performance as Kikuchiyo. The film was his seventh collaboration with Kurosawa, and their close creative relationship shines through. Mifune is given free reign, and as a result, Kikuchiyo is all childish excitement and animalistic rage; the film’s comic relief and its beating heart (his outburst about the true nature of farmers is a master class in emotional range).

Kurosawa’s masterful direction cannot be forgotten, however, and Seven Samurai presents the maverick director at the peak of his powers. The film’s final act is a tour de force, and was, in its time, the epitome of spectacle. A series of pitched battles culminating in a climactic, rain drenched last stand in which the samurai defeat the bandits at grave cost to themselves. The finale became the blueprint for every decisive cinematic battle that would follow, yet few would attempt to copy its bittersweet conclusion. The victory against the bandits leaves the villagers prosperous, and all but three of the samurai dead (one of which, Katsushiro, leaves the group to be with the woman he loves). It’s a bold conclusion that deftly mixes elation with tragedy.


A high point in a long line of Kurosawa masterpieces, Seven Samurai is an historic work that anyone who has even a passing fondness of film should seek out. In many ways a proto-blockbuster, its far reaching influence on modern spectacle cinema cannot be ignored. KT

SPECIAL FEATURE: Film Review: Kagemusha

Film: Kagemusha
Running time: 180 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu, Hideji Ôtaki
Genre: Drama/History/War
Country: Japan

This film was screened at the Barbican (barbican.org.uk) on 9th December 2010.

Kurosawa’s epic historical drama details the demise of an aging Japanese daimyo and his crumbling empire. Kagemusha is loosely based on the real life story of Shingen Takeda, and the circumstances surrounding his death.

The noble warlord Shingen is wounded by a rogue sniper during a siege one night, much to the horror of his generals. During his transit away from the battlefield, Shingen tragically dies in his sedan, and discloses his final wish of wanting to live another three years to his generals. In order to fulfil the lord’s dying wish, his closest generals decide to keep his death a secret, employing the services of a lowly thief to impersonate Shingen in battle and as political figurehead at home.

The thief is initially plagued by haunting dreams and visions of the old Shingen, but soon grows into his role, mimicking Shingen’s mannerisms and language perfectly…


Like many of Kurosawa’s other films such as Rashomon and Throne of Blood, Kagemusha is very much concerned with deception, and the play between reality and illusion. If a lowly thief can successfully pass as a daimyo for three whole years, what does that tell us of nobility, birth and class? Do we judge a man according to what he does or what he is? In Kagemusha, Kurosawa explores these ideas and more, creating a world where the lines between reality and fiction, the good and bad, the past and present are all blurred and crossed.

The transformation of thief to the noble lord Shingen is a slow process that is more about him trying to understand the daimyo, and the power and authority he commands. As the thief is slowly immersed into his new world, the full extent of Shingen’s power is revealed through the scores of servants, concubines, bodyguards and generals who all dedicate their lives to him. True respect and authority it seems, comes from inspiring awe, not fear, within the hearts of your followers. During the Battle of Takatenjin, the thief is shocked to see the legions of men who literally use their own bodies as shields in order to protect Shingen, such is their loyalty to the lord. By stepping into the shoes of the great leader, the thief is equally inspired by Shingen’s power and strives to better himself accordingly.

One of the most common criticisms against Kagemusha is that the film feels somewhat detached and self-indulgent, with a running time of just under three hours and an estimated budget of $6 million. Unlike the traditional Jidaigecki, instead of the hero protagonist, we are left with an empty shell, in a stylised film that is more concerned with illusion and performance then substance. However, what can be interpreted in one sense as form over content, Kagemusha can also be viewed as a postmodern Jidaigecki, highlighting the effects of modernity on society.

For example, the Battle of Nagashino is won due to the volleys of gunfire that systematically destroy wave after wave of cavalrymen and foot soldiers. In addition, Shingen’s own death is also caused by a lone sniper, who manages to fatally wound him from a distance. The advances of technology, symbolised by the firearm, herald the demise of Shingen’s clan and renders the traditional styles of combat useless. The real Battle of Nagashino was considered a turning point in Japanese military history, as firearms became a crucial part of combat ever since. Military warfare began to turn away from the aristocratic samurai battles, towards a more industrialised and modern style of combat. Technology thus marks not just the personal end of Shingen, but the dawning of a new modern era.

What Kagemusha represents is an experimental Jidaigecki, portraying the beginning of the demise of feudal Japan, and the encroachment of modernity and upon its dying traditions. There is no outright hero or villain, and it is difficult to argue whether the protagonist is really the thief or Shingen. In one poignant scene, one of the retainers muses: “A double means something only when there is an original. When the original is gone, what will happen to the double?” However, in Kagemusha it is this meaningless double that we identify and sympathise with, demonstrating the postmodern idea of simulacra and signs. The thief is just a signifier for the real Shingen, who exists in the hearts and minds of his subjects as nothing more than a symbolic concept. Ultimately, Shingen’s power and influence is something that transcends the real Shingen, and is able to survive independently even after his death.


 Kagemusha is an important piece of Japanese cinema that reinvents the Jidaigecki genre to reflect the concerns and effects of modern society. Its sumptuous costumes, epic battle scenes and skilful storytelling once again confirm Kurosawa’s place as one of cinema’s greatest auteur. KW

NEWS: Blu-ray Only Release: Ran

Blood-spattered and brutal version of 'King Lear', with three sons instead of three daughters. Akira Kurosawa took the story and remade it into this highly regarded, blood splattered 'Period of the Warring States' epic.

After years of ruthless slaughter, Hidetero splits his kingdom amongst his sons seeking a peaceful retirement, but his life descends into chaos as he is unable to escape the corruption within his own family and the torment within his soul.

Film: Ran
Release date: 18th October 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 155 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada
Genre: Action/Drama/War
Studio: Optimum
Format: Blu-ray
Country: Japan

REVIEW: DVD Release: Throne Of Blood

Film: Throne Of Blood
Release date: 22nd October 2001
Certificate: PG
Running time: 105 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Akira Kubo
Genre: Action/Drama/Fantasy/War
Studio: BFI
Format: DVD
Country: Japan

Legendary Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa’s first attempt at adapting a Shakespearean play into the setting of Feudal Japan, Throne Of Blood sees Macbeth retold with haunting visuals, complete with samurai, geishas and ghosts.

Macbeth is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s most enduring and classic plays. The eponymous character, a nobleman, is driven by a vision of three witches that prophesy his rise to power to murder his king and claim the throne. Supported by his scheming and persuasive wife, the two enjoy their newfound status until their guilty consciences drive them to madness, which only worsens when men loyal to the king seek to supplant Macbeth’s rule and obtain revenge for the death of their true king.

Transferring the original Scottish setting to Japan, Kurosawa perfectly adapts the story to suit the different culture, and only omits a few characters from Shakespeare’s original. Macbeth is now a samurai named Washizu (Toshiro Mifune), who murders Lord Tzuzuki (Hiroshi Tachikawa) in order to claim his position. Haunted by the ghost of his friend, Washizu and his wife (Isuzu Yamada) succumb to insanity and desperately struggle to defend Spider’s Web Castle, on the slopes of Mount Fuji, from an attacking force.

Within the historical storyline, there also dwells a strong supernatural element. Alongside the figure of ‘Banquo’s’ ghost, Shakespeare’s three witches on the heath now become spectral samurai, and a wizened old forest spirit that predicts the future to Washizu.


Although made in 1957, seeing Throne Of Blood today remains a refreshing experience. Most adaptations of Shakespeare are content with either placing the action in its original period or in contemporary times. The setting of Feudal Japan creates striking visuals that breathes new life into the story, and creates interest out of the different social relationships between characters. However, the film does somewhat suffer from its change into Japanese, as the complexities and beauty of Shakespeare’s language are lost in translation.

This doesn’t distract from the experience of viewing the film. The story itself is strong enough to survive regardless, and the characterisations are wonderful. Isuzu Yamada, playing the role of Lady Macbeth (Asaji), is excellent, although she is ultimately overshadowed by Toshiro Mifune, who delivers another spectacular performance as the central character. He encapsulates all the emotions and conflict that the character experiences, and brings to Washizu’s mental breakdown a terrific physicality, similar to his performances in Rashomon and Seven Samurai. His lively portrayal brings energy and even humour to scenes where the nightmarish visuals and bleak setting could become overwhelming.

The film has an almost dream-like quality, owing to the sometimes excessive use of mist and fog to create a portentous atmosphere. Spider’s Web Castle, where most of the action takes place, is usually revealed to us through a thick swirl of mist, as is the nearby forest where Washizu encounters the ‘witches’. Throne Of Blood overflows with incredible and memorable visuals, in particular the climax where Washizu is hounded to oblivion by hails of arrows, which while rather over-the-top, nonetheless makes for an exciting and iconic piece of cinema.

However, for all the film’s visual liveliness, there also remains a suitably theatrical feel to the direction, where the composition and action in scenes feels like it could be being performed on stage. Possibly inspired by Japanese Kabuki theatre, a number of quieter scenes, where characterisations are focused on are related in a beautiful and subtle manner, and unlike the epic Ran, Kurosawa’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Throne Of Blood retains a personal and intimate feel that adds significant dramatic weight to the two central characters. The running time is also notably shorter than Ran and Seven Samurai, making Throne Of Blood a more direct example of Kurosawa’s filmmaking style, and making the perfect introduction for someone unfamiliar with his work.


Excellent performances and stunning visuals make Throne Of Blood one of Kurosawa’s most memorable and exciting works. It may not rank quite as high as his influential masterpieces, such as Seven Samurai and Rashomon, but it remains a wonderful example of his directorial style. A hugely enjoyable viewing experience. CD

SPECIAL FEATURE: DVD Review: Dreams

Film: Dreams
Release date: 18th March 2003

Certificate: PG

Running time: 119 mins

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baisho, Toshie Negishi, Mieko Harada, Mitsunori Isaki

Genre: Fantasy/Drama

Studio: Warner

Format: DVD

Country: Japan

This title has yet to receive a Region 2/UK release.

Pioneering the craft of motion picture, not merely in his native Japan but the world over, films such a Seven Samurai and Roshimon have had an indelible influence on generations of directors. For all this, however, it astonishes the general lack of attention Dreams has been afforded among the canon of Kurosawa's many notable masterpieces.

Dreams, as the title would suggest, is a compilation of eight vignettes inspired by dreams the writer/director recorded and accumulated over several years of his life. Some profoundly philosophical and others of a vividly visceral nature, both allow Kurosawa to indulge his unparalleled skill for dialogue and visual craft.

It is difficult not to understate the profundity of Akira Kurosawa's effect on the art of modern filmmaking. Recognised by scholars and enthusiasts of cinema, were it not for Kurosawa's body of work that left no facet of the cinematic form untouched film would not exist as it does today…


In a segment entitled ‘Crows’, a nameless character (Akira Terao) is featured encountering Vincent Van Gogh (played by director Martin Scorsese in the one scene in the film shot in English) after stepping into a hung Van Gogh being displayed in the stark white of a gallery hall. The painter’s Wheat Field With Crows is translated to screen in no less impressionistic a style than Van Gogh’s own brushstrokes. Meeting Van Gogh among the tall stalks of an expanse of golden fields, the nameless character (seen in the director’s token white sun cap) is berated by the artist who admonishes him for wasting time in a field with old men when there is so much to create, an obsession Van Gogh exclaims he cannot resist feeding.

This particular segment seems very much a personal statement on the part of Kurosawa, if gifted to him in a dream. Scorsese is among several widely recognised purveyors of cinema that have openly praised and attributed their own vision to the late Japanese filmmaker. Kurosawa in turn had credited Van Gogh as a principal influence on his vision as a director and the luscious colours with which the director animates the still painting could not make for a finer tribute. Likewise the coincidence of a sort of Scorsese’s portrayal gives the exchange a self-referential poeticism: the student (Scorsese) playing the master (Van Gogh) instructing the mentor (Kurosawa) on his obligation to his own artistry in a scene written and directed by Kurosawa.

In the films concluding piece, entitled ‘Village Of The Watermills’, another nameless traveller, again played by Terao (a recurring feature in the film, and in many other of Kirosawa’s work), happens upon the elderly operator of a rural Japanese watermill (Chishu Ryu). Set against the stillness of the brook over which the mill stands, and the measured turn of its wheel, the scene becomes at once a solemn meditation on the inevitability of death, and a deeply comforting appreciation and resignation towards the no less inevitable continuation of life. The scene serves as both a literal and figurative Buddhist lesson on the expanse of existence made perhaps the more poignant and wistful by Kurisawa’s passing earlier in 2010.

In compilation, as it is, the piece of pastiche offers as a whole a wide rendering of Kirosawa's prowess. Each vignette reflects the rich tapestry of Kirosawa's synaesthetic, some grand and mesmerizing in their visual allure, and others containing a profound minimalism and philosophical stillness. As the film represents to a large extent the culmination of a life spent behind the camera, it is a fitting introduction to the genius of its director to those unfamiliar with Kurosawa’s work and a timeless epitaph that should bring disciples of cinema to tears.


A film truly exemplifies the director’s pronouncement that “man is a genius when he dreams.” ABM

REVIEW: DVD Release: Ran

Film: Ran
Release date: 20th November 2006 (Blu-ray released 28th September 2009)
Certificate: 15
Running time: 153 mins
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada
Genre: Action/Drama
Studio: Optimum
Format: DVD
Country: Japan

If the Lucas and Spielberg assisted production of 1980’s Kagemusha was Kurosawa’s flawed dress rehearsal for the epic blood soaked fable he had always envisaged, then his revisit to the genre, Ran, is very much the real thing - a silence to his critics, and an amazing visual experience.

As with 1957’s Throne Of Blood, which was closely modelled on Macbeth, Kurosawa once again drew inspiration from Shakespearean tragedy, adapting King Lear – albeit, this time, with several subtle differences, most notably the inclusion of several ‘new’ characters and interesting moral dilemmas.

Faithful to the original source material, the plot is based around an ageing warlord who decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three offspring. Unlike Lear, however, who had three daughters; our protagonist has three sons with which to contend with. The youngest son (adopting the Cordelia role) vocally dismisses his idea as senility and insanity, and inevitably transpires to be the only one to remain loyal to his father despite his impending madness. Chaos ensues, greed and ambition prevail, and ultimately the outcome is tragic beyond even Shakespeare’s own inventions…


The transition from an Elizabethan setting to feudal Japan is seamless. The story itself could easily be a morality tale from almost any culture, but somehow in Kurosawa’s hands it seems quintessentially Japanese. Kurosawa himself seems to have embraced his Japanese heritage more so than in previous efforts, adopting naturalistic filming techniques such as static camera angles and long takes evoking the performances and staging of traditional No plays, rather than the favoured American influenced sweeping and panning camera techniques employed in films like The Seven Samurai.

The look of the film is extremely theatrical with over the top physical performances, lavishly coloured set design, wardrobe and makeup. Despite the extravagance and stylistic nature, they never detract from the verisimilitude and realism of the film. The makeup of the main character, crumbling warlord Hidetora, in particular, is made up to evoke ghostly theatrical imagery. His face resembling a Kabuki mask, a style of theatre derived from 16th century Japan, but given his circumstances, it is accepted and never questioned.

Kagemusha was perceived in many circles to be somewhat of a failure, due to its inability to make an emotional connection with the audience. Ran has no such issues, and Kurosawa obviously intended to address this issue head on. He succeeded by crafting much more empathetic characters and situations, and decided to cast a wide range of talent that, for the most part, he hadn’t previously worked with (having mysteriously parted ways with regular collaborator Toshiro Mifune before the production of Kagemusha).

Hidetora, as expertly portrayed by Kurosawa veteran Tatsuya Nakadai, is a more complex individual than Shakespeare’s titular character. Plagued by madness and guilt, he wanders throughout the lush landscape with his loyal retainer Tango and fool Kyomai encountering various characters and events that only disturb him further - spiralling towards the events that form the film’s unavoidable conclusion. Tension builds as storm clouds gather symbolising the impending doom, and while everyone is blinded by their own agendas, only the fool Kyomai remains the voice of reason (the film’s moral compass, and some much needed comic relief as there are many unsettling scenes of brutal violence).

The most disturbing scenes involve those featuring Lady Kaede, a character specifically invented for Ran - she evokes the power Goneril had in Lear and an almost Lady Macbeth ability to manipulate the males for her own benefit, essentially instigating all of the events that occur within the narrative. The performance by Mieko Harada is chilling, yet demands sympathy and respect from the audience when we learn of her past and her abilities. She also evidently displays far superior leadership skills than Hidetora or any of the three brothers. The inclusion of Kaede detracts from potential homo eroticism and misogyny created by dominance of a nearly all-male cast by providing a fully rounded feminist presence. These complex and, at times, contradictory characters demonstrate how Kurosawa had evolved as a filmmaker by this point - much more comfortable with symbolism and ambiguity than overt morality pieces.

The technical aspects of this film also show much more competence and confidence. The panoramic battle scenes and choreography are mesmerising, eclipsing anything done by any filmmaker before or indeed subsequently. Not even Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings or Edward Zwick’s The Last Samurai come close. One harrowing battle scene, in particular, features absolutely no diegetic sound, only the eerie yet intense score provided by an array of traditional instruments. This gives a necessary distancing from the violent imagery, but somehow enables it to become all the more captivating.

Cinematographers Takao Saito and Masaharu Ueda do the astonishing job of utilising the vibrant colour palette featuring the many lush greens that are on display in the mountainous locations to give a sense not of calm and tranquillity but instead sinister foreboding - enhancing the mood of the film brilliantly, complimented by the haunting score.


Ran is a cinematic tour de force, a modern day updating of a classic tragedy brought to the screen by a true visionary. A masterpiece of the highest order and a startling return to form. Now the film is available on blu-ray for the first time, the opportunity to experience it in high definition is not to be missed.