8 of 10
Cinematography by Asakazu Nakai
Tatsuya Nakadai
Akira Terao
Jinpachi Nezu
Daisuke Ryu
Mieko Harada
Yoshiko Miyazaki
Takashi Nomura
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| Ran 8 of 10 |
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| Directed by Akira Kurosawa Cinematography by Asakazu Nakai Tatsuya Nakadai Akira Terao Jinpachi Nezu Daisuke Ryu Mieko Harada Yoshiko Miyazaki Takashi Nomura |
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| This film, directed by the legendary Akira Kurosawa, is a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear. But it is King Lear as it has never been done before; Shakespeare with an Eastern twist, with a little bit of Macbeth thrown in, with a dash of samurai action, and with absolutely brilliant visuals. I am convinced that this film could have no sound whatsoever, and it would still be very worth watching. The previous films of his that I had seen felt like color movies shot with a black and white camera. And I was very curious as to what he could accomplish with actual colors. The answer is: a visual marvel. Kurosawa was a painter before he became a film director, and he did not use storyboards while planning his films, but used complex paintings instead. Knowing that fact, and then watching this movie, the benefits of such an approach are obvious. The film does indeed resemble a painting; it feels very much like a collection of stills, so carefully and meticulously is each shot set up, balanced, and . The fight scenes are immense and graphic, but all the while, they are filled with a feeling of great beauty. There is one scene in particular, where one of the film's main characters is executed, where I was left thinking: "that was beautiful." And that was a very strange experience, let me tell you. The acting is also extremely visual, seeming almost stylized. It has very much the feel of a play production, which works wonderfully with its Shakespearean story. A wonderful, wonderful film, and one that showcases the real power of a truly visual storyteller. | ||||||