Ran + Discussion
Dir. Akira Kurosawa, Japanese w. English subtitles, Japan, 1985, Dir. Kurosawa
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Sun 17 June 2012 // 19:30
/ Cinema
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"A landmark of world cinema, this is a rousing, staggering epic and a haunting drama of timeless significance." - FILM4
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ABOUT RAN
Situated in the chaos of feudal Japan, is this, as Kurosawa hinted, a ‘less pessimistic’ version of King Lear, or still nihilistic? As always, Kurosawa ‘revels…in the medium of film’: be awed by his cameras’ mobility, whether capturing intense action or stasis.
10 YEARS OF WORK - ADAPTATION OF KING LEAR
Kurosawa spent 10 years meticulously preparing every detail of, and scouring the world for funding for this magnum opus, a free adaptation of King Lear transposed to 16th century feudal Japan.
THE PLOT
The aging Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai in a monumental performance) decrees that his land be divided among his 3 sons (changed from Shakespeare's three daughters). Blinded by the flattery of the two older sons, he banishes his youngest for speaking the truth.
The remaining heirs, driven by power and greed, shun their father and turn on each other. A broken man, Hidetora descends into madness as he watches the kingdom he had held together for fifty years disintegrate into apocalyptic destruction.
MADNESS AND BATTLES
We see, and feel, the "Ran," the literal chaos of the title, in the destruction of the bonds of duty which once united a son to his father, a brother to his brother, and a samurai to his lord. Kurosawa makes no apologies for taking the time he needs to explore every nuance of his characters and themes.
This magisterial film is an aesthetic triumph, with sequences ranging from one of the most overwhelming (and influential) battles ever filmed to intimate scenes which begin with ritualistic formality but then erupt into volcanic passion.
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REVIEWS
"'Ran' is a great, glorious achievement. Kurosawa often must have associated himself with the old lord as he tried to put this film together, but in the end he has triumphed, and the image I have of him, at 75, is of three arrows bundled together." – ROGER EBERT
"At age 75, the director has made his most costly epic to date, and it's a dazzlingly successful addition to his distinguished career." - VARIETY
"The shift and sway of a nation divided is vast, the chaos terrible, the battle scenes the most ghastly ever filmed, and the outcome is even bleaker than Shakespeare's." - TIME OUT
"A landmark of world cinema, this is a rousing, staggering epic and a haunting drama of timeless significance." - FILM4
“Although I have never seen or read (over a dozen times) a more overwhelming play than King Lear, and although Kurosawa sometimes freely adapts the plot, still I believe that the filmmaker has been entirely faithful to the spirit of the most revered author in Western literature.” – JIM’S REVIEWS http://jclarkmedia.com/film/filmreviewran.html
“Ran is the late masterpiece and testament of a great director contemplating his own twilight—and the world’s as well.” – Michael Wilmington for CRITERION COLLECTION http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/402-ran-apocalypse-song
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TRAILER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbbfDntoRRk
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+ Discussion
The film will be introduced by lecturers in English literature from Northumbria University, specialists in Shakespeare, and they will also stay for a discussion with the audience after the screening.
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ABOUT AKIRA KUROSAWA (1910 – 1998)
Akira Kurosawa is widely regarded as one of the most important directors in the history of cinema.
A few facts:
- Akira Kurosawa was born on 23 March 1910 in Tokyo, Japan
- he directed 30 films in 57 years
- He awakened the West to Japanese cinema with Rashomon, which won the top prize in the Venice Film Festival of 1951, and also a special Oscar for best foreign film.
- Seven Samurai (1954) was remade in the US under its alternative title The Magnificent Seven
- His other films include: The Idiot (1951) adapetd from Dostoevsky, Throne of Blood (1957) from MacBeth, Dersu Uzala (1975), Dreams (1990)
- In 1989 he won an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. At the age of 72 he said "I like unformed characters. This may be because, no matter how old I get, I am still unformed myself."
Quote from Kurosawa about cinema: ‘The films an audience really enjoys are the ones that were enjoyable in the making. Yet pleasure in the work can’t be achieved unless you know you have put all of your strenght into it and have done your best to make it come alive. A film made in this spirit reveals the hearts of the crew.’
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Film programmed as part of our ALTERNATIVE SHAKESPEARE FILM FESTIVAL (17 June - 5 July)
Given upcoming events this summer celebrating Shakespeare, let’s remember that despite these official, establishment celebrations of the writer (and what he represents), Shakespeare also thrives in stranger, alternative forms. Do these rarely-screened films from around the world show The Bard meaning more than he bargained for?
5 films from around the world
Here is a selection of 5 excellent lesser-known, surprising and rarely screened film adaptations of his work. The films all come from different countries: the UK, Japan, the USA, the Soviet Union, and one film is technically British but is set in Madagascar.
Organised with lecturers from Northumbria University + Discussions
This festival was programmed by the Star and Shadow Cinema and lecturers in English literature from Northumbria University. All screenings will be introduced by literature lecturers, specialists of Shakespeare, and will be followed by discussions with the audience.
Formats + Special screening
4 out of 5 of the films will be shown on 35mm – the most beautiful projection format, which is now disappearing from most cinemas. Also, on Sat 23 June, the film Makibefo will be shown in the presence of the director, Alexander Abela, who will introduce and discuss his film with the audience.
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Tickets
£5 / £3.50 (conc) on the night
OR
£4.50 / £3 (conc) advance tickets here https://www.wegottickets.com/f/4640
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