An epic drawn from legendary samurai stories and Shakespeare’s “King Lear”, this is an immense tale of treachery, envy and greed, and what becomes of those parts when intertwined. Kurosawa spent a decade on this film before filming it, and I’m guessing every second of it was worth the effort. Flawless direction coupled with a marvellous script, breathtaking cinematography and use of colours, wide-angled shots and full use of symbolics, this is a must-see.

Anyone who says this film is not worth watching is absolutely crazy. This is one of the absolute essentials when it comes to Japanese cinema, most notably in the genre of samurai films. Akira Kurosawa was a genius with a camera, and “Ran” is one of the many examples.

Kurosawa takes William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “King Lear” and sets it in feudal Japan, telling the tale of an aging lord who divides his power among his sons, who then vie for absolute power. What ensues include epic war sequences, tales of intimate betrayal, and some of the best acting at the hands of Tatsuya Nakadai, who plays the aging Lord Hidetora Ichimonji.

Although I have yet to pick up a copy of the Criterion Collection DVD, I know that the film is perfect with or without the remastered audio and video, and any extras can only strengthen the experience of this masterpiece. Any and every fan of Asian cinema should seek this out.