One of the most celebrated films from legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, RAN – which translates as ‘turmoil’ – is a truly majestic and epic piece of work that profoundly examines the folly of war and the insatiable thirst for power. A strong case could be made for it being Kurosawa’s masterpiece, and that’s saying something when you look at his spectacular filmography.
“A reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear set in feudal Japan, RAN tells the story of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai – Yojimbo, Kagemusha) an aging warlord who, after spending his life consolidating his empire, decides to abdicate and divide his Kingdom amongst his three sons Taro (Akira Terao – Letter from the Mountain, Dreams), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu – The Man in White, Red Shadow: Akakage) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryû – Tôno Monogatari, Gojo reisenki: Gojoe). This leads to a brutal and bloody war between the brothers for absolute power of the kingdom.”
RAN makes its debut on the 4K UHD format with an absolutely awe-inspiring restoration that makes the celebrated film feel brand new. We took a closer look at the release’s packaging below…
BONUS FEATURES
- A.K. – Feature-length documentary on Akira Kurosawa by Chris Marker
- Interview with director of photography Shoji Ueda
- Interview with Meiko Harada
- Interview with author/journalist Michael Brooke
- Stage appearance at the Tokyo International Film Festical 2015
- Ran: The Restoration – Featurette
RAN is available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from StudioCanal on July 19 2021