Ran (1985) is director Akira Kurosawa’s take on King Lear, Shakespeare’s tragedy of a king-becoming-mad after partitioning his land to two of his three daughters (Although Wikipedia claims it is also based on the historical figure Mōri Motonari, a feudal lord. The more you know!). Kurosawa’s take on the Bard’s classic is largely the same, although in this version the King of Britain has become a Sengoku-era warlord, Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji, and the three daughters are now three sons. There’s also a long, brutal battle sequence that truly delivers on the title’s promise of chaos. (Ran, a Japanese word, roughly translates to chaos or disorder.)

Ran is Kurosawa’s last epic and second Shakespeare adaptation (the first, the Toshiro Mifune-led Throne of Blood, a riff on Macbeth, also a worthy flick to seek out), and, is perhaps overall Kurosawa’s most ambitious undertaking in a career defined by them. As such, it deserves to be seen projected on the big screen. Ran is playing at the Museum of Fine Arts starting today, with several other screenings over the next few days.

Ran
1985
dir. Akira Kurosawa
162 min.

Part of the MFA’s ongoing series Rescued/Restored, which showcases new digital releases of essential films.

Thursday 8/11 at 7:30 PM
Friday 8/12 at 4:30 PM
Sunday 8/14 at 11:00 AM