Mieko Harada

Ran -- Akira Kurosawa retells Shakespeare's classic tragedy King Lear against a samurai backdrop. Lord Hidetora is a warlord who transfers his kingdom to his eldest son. A power struggle ensues, incited by his two disinherited younger sons.

Akira Kurosawa's brilliantly conceived re-telling of Shakespeare's King Lear magically mixes Japanese history, Shakespeare's plot and Kurosawa's own feelings about loyalty in the epic masterpiece, Ran. Set in 16th century Japan, an aging ruler, Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons. Hidetora’s decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three heirs when he falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older sons and banishes the youngest for speaking the truth. That ruthless betrayal ultimately drives Hidetora insane, destroying his entire family and kingdom. Deep human emotion and outstanding acting combine to create one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time.

Academy Award-winning director Akira Kurosawa (THE SEVEN SAMURAI, RAN), whose cinematic genius has inspired such classic films as STAR WARS and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, presents his 28th and most personal film. Visually splendid, Kurosawa's film consists of eight powerful vignettes, one of which features acclaimed director Martin Scorsese as painter Vincent Van Gogh. "Breathtaking... dazzling," says The New York Times.

Akira Kurosawa retells Shakespeare's classic tragedy King Lear against a samurai backdrop. Lord Hidetora is a warlord who transfers his kingdom to his eldest son. A power struggle ensues, incited by his two disinherited younger sons.