Ran (DVD)
Criterion Voyager,Special Edition
APPROX. 160 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1985 - MPA RATING: NR
" “Ran” is certainly the work of a master at the height of his powers, but it also the work of a master who is acutely conscious of his legacy.
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This is simply a matter of taste, however, and you are not wrong if you consider "Ran" to be Kurosawa´s crowning achievement. For all its grandeur, the success of "Ran" boils down to a simple point: it is fun to watch. Even at two hours and forty minutes, this heartily satisfying epic flies by and only leaves the viewer wanting more.
"Ran" was previously released by Wellspring in a disappointing "Masterworks" edition, and before that by Fox Lorber in an version best left unmentioned. Criterion has more than corrected the flaws of the previous releases, as I discuss in the following sections.
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. In his review of "Ran: the Masterworks Edition" from Wellspring, our own Eddie Feng wrote of the many problems in the transfer, including "excessive shimmering," mis-timed colors and excessive debris from the source print. Criterion´s high-definition digital transfer shares none of these shortcomings. The colors are rich and vibrant, enough to make me wish I owned a high-def television just to fully appreciate them. This transfer also preserves the majesty of Kurosawa´s exquisite widescreen compositions. The image quality is crystal clear with no apparent blemishes.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. The digitally remastered soundtrack sounds great, and does justice to Toru Takemitsu´s classical score which combines both Eastern and Western elements. Optional English language subtitles support the Japanese audio.
Extras
Disc One includes the digitally restored film accompanied by a feature-length commentary track by film scholar Stephen Prince. The disc also includes a an "appreciation" by Sidney Lumet who explains why he prefers "Ran" among all of Kurosawa´s films. There are also four original Theatrical Trailers on Disc One.
Disc Two offers a bevy of extras to appease the die-hard Kurosawa fan, though there is no single stand-out feature in the group.
"A.K" (1985, 74 min.): Chris Marker is one of the greatest and most poetic of all documentarians, so it is mildly surprising that "A.K." is such a pedestrian effort. Though the documentary discusses several of Kurosawa´s movies, it was filmed on the set of "Ran." The on-set footage of Kurosawa provides a fascinating insight into his method of working, especially his reliance on a core of long-time trusted crew members (his own real-life Seven Samurai.) However, the movie turns out to be more hagiography than documentary, and indulges in its gluey reverence of the master filmmaker.
"Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create." (30 min.): An episode of the "Toho Masterworks" television series, this was shot shortly after Kurosawa´s death. It is a fairly standard overview of Kurosawa´s career with a heavy focus on "Ran."
"Image: Kurosawa´s Continuity" (36 min.): Directed by Masyuki Yui (who played Taro in "Ran"), this short film retells "Ran" using Kurosawa´s original storyboards along with audio from the film. Kurosawa labored over his storyboards both for his own sake and to help secure funding for the film, and some of them reflect his skills as a painter. It gets a bit tiring, but I found this to be the most interesting feature in the whole collection.
"Tatsuya Nakadai" (10 min.): An interview recorded in 2005 with the lead actor of "Ran." Nakadai was barely in his 50s when "Ran" was filmed, which makes his depiction of the venerable Hidetora even more impressive. In his seventies when this interview was conducted, he looks remarkably hale and hearty.
The two-disc collection also includes a 28-page booklet which includes an essay by critic Michael Wilmington and an interview with Kurosawa.
Closing Thoughts
It took a few tries, but the definitive DVD release of "Ran" has finally arrived. "Ran" is a late-career achievement that proves Kurosawa was every as vital a filmmaker at age 75 was he was in his youth. "Ran" was hardly his last hurrah. "Dreams" (1990)" and "Rhapsody in August" (1991) were also superior efforts by the then-octogenarian director. Kurosawa was not always appreciated during his career, particularly by Japanese audiences, but both critics and viewers were eager to embrace him in his later days. With "Ran," he certainly didn´t disappoint any of his new-found converts.
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