"In a mad world, only the mad are sane."

The plot is based on Shakespeare's "King Lear" and tells the story of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji, who decides to pass on his power and empire to his oldest son after deciding to retire. The division of power between the sons eventually leads to chaos.

However, the storytelling is far from chaotic. The film has many themes such as of greed, power, hatred, revenge, lust, guilt etc. and yet, Kurosawa manages to create a perfect balance between them. This could have been a messy experience but there is no doubt why Ran is considered a masterpiece. Kurosawa did not only adapt the work of Shakespeare but made it his own.

You cannot watch this film without noticing the cinematography. At times, I think about the fact that Kurosawa spent his filmmaking career making movies in black and white and yet he was able to use color to create such a breathtaking visual experience where color plays an important role in the storytelling, such as differentiating the characters and clans. The long shots and the vast landscapes, everything is carefully planned. The action sequences as well are mind-blowing, well choreographed and just heart pounding. It is incredible to look at, to say the least.

To talk about the acting, the entire cast shows strong performances that are hard to to forget. Especially Nakadai Tatsuya as the elderly warlord Hidetora Ichimonji. He is a great and extremely convincing actor and his portrayal of his character here did not fall short in any way, it was incredible. My personal favorite performance however was by Harada Mieko as Lady Kaede. This character is someone that I think you are supposed to despise but in my personal opinion, her actions are well motivated. The way she is turning a tragedy to her advantage and systematically manipulates, I was in awe.

If I had to point out only ONE thing that could be seen as negative for some, is that it is slow paced, especially in the first act. However, I think everyone should give this film a chance. It is one of the best, if not THE best historical epic ever created.