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| DIRECTED BY |
| Akira Kurosawa |
| STARRING |
| Akira Terao |
| Jinpachi Nezu |
| Tatsuya Nakadai |
| Daisuke Ryu |
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If I had the patience to read the subtitles back then, this is the type of entertainment that I wish I had been exposed to as a child, rather than those contemptible Chuck Norris films such as �The Octagon.� Kurosawa�s �Ran� is by no means a perfect film, but the sheer beauty, craft, and intelligence of it just about overshadows any flaws that may be evident.
The framing of this film is impeccable. Kurosawa truly did sculpt his films like paintings, devoting his utmost attention to every corner of each image that he committed to celluloid. As a result, we�re treated to such unforgettable images as the blazing exterior of Hidetora�s castle and the vast, barren landscapes of ancient China. Kurosawa�s camera does get annoyingly shaky at times, especially when he attempts to get too fancy during certain dolly movements. But his unobtrusive, detached directorial style is never really at fault.
Kurosawa staged and shot his battle scenes the way they should be shot � without much technical interference. This is where Scorsese went wrong with �Gangs of New York� � quite simply, he got too fancy with his camerawork. Kurosawa thus achieved a fantastic degree of realism with �Ran� and so many of his other films.
The story with which this film is based upon isn�t always the most believable � �Ran,� like �King Lear,� commonly relies upon convenient coincidences to progress its storyline, and the performances in this film are exaggerated in a very Shakespearean sort of way. Actually, the film itself sometimes begins to take on a staged appearance. This is probably when Kurosawa should have driven his direction a bit more. And, yes, perhaps the material should have been condensed more as well, but the film�s length does not take away from its unparalleled beauty.
