RAN (1985, Japan, 160 min.), directed by Akira Kurosawa; screenplay adapted by Kurosawa, Hideo Ojuni, and Masato Ide from Shakespeare's King Lear; music by Toru Takemitsu; with Tatsuya Nakadai (Hidatora Ichimonji, the Great Lord), Akira Terao (Taro, his eldest son), Jinpachi Nezu (Jiru, his #2 son), Ryu Daisuke (Saburo, his youngest son), Peter (Kyoami, his Fool), Masayuki Yui (Tango, his loyal retainer), Mieku Harada (Lady Kaede, wife of Taro), Josuiko Myazaki (Sue, wife of Jiru), Takeshi Nomura (Tsurumaru, brother of Sue), Hitoshi Ueki (Lord Fujimaki, Saburo's father-in-law), Jun Tazaki (Lord Ayabe), Kazuo Kato (Lord Ikama the Traitor), Norio Matsui (Ogura the Traitor), Hisashi Ikawa (Lord Kurogane, Jiro's chief retainer). In Japanese with English subtitles.
Please jot down answers to all the questions, then answer three in depth on separate paper. One of the three should be #19.
1. In what ways is the film's title (meaning "chaos," "upheaval") an appropriate one? Does "chaos" adequately describe the beginning, the middle, the end of the film? Do you see any "order" behind this "chaos"?
2. Analyze the film's first real scene--the meal and discussion following the hunt. Why is the composition so static, so formal? What do we learn about the major characters in this first scene, when they are introduced to us?
3. Stanley Kauffmann writes of the film's battle scenes: "Ran is filled with fighting and killing and burning and beheading. It ranges from detail--a glimpse of a soldier with an arrow in his eye, a soldier holding his severed left arm in his right hand--to cavalry charges swirling and counter-swirling, to troops deployed across hills as if the world had been designed for battles and men created to enact them." Would you agree that the battle scenes are a combination of the small and the large? Is Kurosawa able to convey a realistic sense of battle, despite the stylization and expressionism of many of the effects (especially in the use of sound)?
4. You'll notice, especially in the battle scenes, that the various factions are color-coded: Taro (the eldest son) and his soldiers wear yellow, Jiri (the middle son) and his soldiers wear red, Saburo (the youngest) and his soldiers wear blue, Fujimaki (Saburo's father-in-law) and his soldiers wear white. Why does Kurosawa choose this rigid color-coding?
5. Sound is quite important to this film--natural, source (diegetic) sound, imposed mood music on the soundtrack, or the well-chosen sounds of silence. Discuss examples of the skillful manner in which sound is used.
6. Discuss the character of Hidetora, the old ruler. Do you see depth in his character? Does he come to understand and accept who he is, what he has done? What is the meaning of his descent into madness?
7. Compare and contrast Hidetora's three sons to one another and to their father.
8. Discuss the Fool. What does he add to the film?
9. Perhaps the most striking character in the film is Kaede, the wife of Taro. Why is she such a great character? Contrast her with her sister-in-law, Sue.
10. Discuss the natural setting. In what ways does the natural world reflect the inner states of the characters. Look for as many examples as possible.
11. Discuss the many conflicts that drive the plot of this film. How does Hidatora become enmeshed in this network of conflicts, some reaching out from his past, others reaching in at him from the present?
12. Discuss the theme of power in the film. In doing so, you might find it useful to compare Ran to a gangster film. In what ways is Hidatora like the traditional gangster boss? What other parallels do you see?
13. If one were not familiar with Japanese film, one might be a bit surprised by the film's use of careful ritual, stylized groupings, intense emotions carefully repressed until released in sudden, violent action or outpourings of rage or grief. To a certain extent this is reflective of Japanese culture; but it also makes for intense, carefully controlled drama. Notice the way ritual and restraint are coupled with explosive action in the film. Explore the similarities (and differences) with what you saw in The Seven Samurai.
14. Would you be surprised to learn that this film's creator was a 75-year-old film master? What does the film have to say about old age?
15. Would you say that Hidatora receives the fate that he deserves? What do you think Kurosawa is trying to tell us by means of this story?
16. At the end of the film the Fool cries out, "Are they so bored in Heaven that they enjoy watching men die like worms? Is it so amusing to see and hear human beings cry and scream?" And Tango answers, "They are the ones who are crying! The evil of human beings . . . the stupidity of the sinful creatures, who believe their survival depends on killing others, repeated again and again throughout all time. . . . Human beings seek sorrow, not happiness, and prefer suffering to peace." With whom does Kurosawa agree, with the Fool's anger, or with Tango's acceptance? Consider the film's ending.
17. As one watches Ran, one can put aside the story, the themes, the character study, and simply take in the stunning visual images: setting, decor, costume, the swirl of colors, the play of textures. What are some moments that you found especially effective on the sensual level?
18. If you know Shakespeare's King Lear, what do you think of Ran as an adaptation? Does Kurosawa trivialize Shakespeare's play or does he enrichen it? Or something in between?
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