The most expensive film made in Japan at the time, & now considered one of the directors masterpieces, Kurosawa Akiras Ran is a lush period epic that, like many films of similar scale, encountered a tough uphill battle during its production. Based on William Shakespeares King Lear, Ran was made during a turbulent period of the master directors career, but that didnt diminish any of his directorial abilities. Featuring large sets & some of the best scenery Japan has to offer, this story of a warlord (reportedly based on Kurosawa himself) dividing his empire among his sons to disastrous results wowed audiences around the world, earning multiple nominations at the Academy Awards that year. To this day, Ran is considered a masterpiece of Japanese Cinema, & now it arrives in high definition on Blu-ray!
On the eve of his 70th birthday, warlord Hidetora (Nakadai Tatsuya) has decided to divide his empire among his three sons. His youngest son Saburo (Ryu Daisuke) denounces the plan & is quickly banished, while the two elder sons Taro (Terao Akira) & Jiro (Nezu Jinpachi) gladly go along. However, Taro & Jiro allow greed to take control of them, waging a bloody war against each other for the control of the empire. Soon, Hidetora is banished from his own l&, forced to go on the run from the lethal forces of both his sons.