Ran: The Most Beautiful Movie Ever Filmed 

I was an "extra" extra on the movie Ran. I was an exchange student at Sophia[Jochi] University in Tokyo and a member of the Kyudo[Japanese archery] club. Regular extras, untrained in archery, had burnt down a $50,000 castle set by accidentally shooting fire arrows into the papier-mâché base faked as stone. So calls went out to all the university Kyudo clubs for volunteers to work as extras. After several phone calls it was determined that I, a foreigner, and the half of the club that wore glasses could work but the girls could not. Ran was shooting on the lower slopes Mount Fuji. They dressed us in samurai armor, quickly made us up. A person came by and splashed us with muddy water and fake blood to "age" us, some of us had to flop down or kneel in a mud puddle. Then we waited and waited. In the end, we were never used since the previous fire arrow scenes were shot in bright sunlight so they shot cavalry scenes all that overcast day. Several other university clubs on different days actually got in the movie, while even more were never used like us. They still paid us and gave us a delicious bento[boxed lunch]. Best ever day skipping school. I like Ran but rank "Seven Samurai" among my favorite movies.

One of the most profound things I have ever heard was a line from Kyoami: "Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies." A perfect jester in his ability to observe the human condition.

What's incredible is that this movie was almost never made, as Kurosawa had an existential crisis and contemplated suicide after a period of unsuccessfulness. Thank God this came to be, because I truly consider it one of the best movies of all time, and a defining achievement for Kurosawa.

I am not a movie person but I had to watch this for my sociology class. I had no idea it would become one of my favorite movies of all time.

Imagine having one of those Kurosawa storyboard paintings in your house.

An absolutely superb film. For me one unforgettably aspect was every time Lady Kaede entered a scene you heard the rustling silk of her kimono before you saw her. Chilling.

A small group of friends and I saw Ran the day it came out knowing nothing about it. The drive home was quiet we were complete lost in our thoughts. What an amazing movie.

My mother watched this movie in theatres when it came out, and named me after the title. I could not be more proud of my name after watching this masterpiece myself.

I'm old enough to have seen "Ran" in its original theatrical run in the 1980s, and I was shaken for life. But what impacted me the most was the silent battle scene. In the original theatrical cut, it was ACTUALLY silent. Not a sound, just total silence enhancing the horrors unraveling on the screen. The music turned up was added only later, for the home video editions, lest people would think the tape or DVD was defective. It's still a powerful effect, but it was even more impressive when it was totally silent.

Yes "Ran" is incredible and one of the ultimate great movies. But "Dreams" is also beautiful too. So is "Dersu Uzala". For me I like every one of Kurosawa's movies, whether in color or black and white.

The last 10 minutes of Ran is arguably the best conclusion of film I’ve ever see. His simple use of color as a plot device is genius. So many shots ahead of there time. The man is a true legend of storytelling. His mindset on almost all of his films is “why can we not get along” it’s so easy yet so complex. By far my favorite director of all time.

I saw RAN in 1985 at the Ritz 5 theater in Philadelphia. Senior in high school, had never heard of the film or the director before, but I liked going to the Ritz to see art films and foreign films. Absolutely blew me away. Never seen anything like it before (or since, arguably). Dragged every friend I could out to see it. Unforgettable.

You only mentioned the music quickly. The soundtrack from Ran, by the great Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu is one of the greatest scores ever composed for a movie. The opening scene, where the music, the titles blend with boar hunt are unforgettable

_"Don't weep for the Gods. It's the Gods who weep for us!"_ The best movie of the 80's. Hands down.

Ran has been my favorite movie from the first time Ive seen it in the 80s as a child. It is .. perfect.

We are all blinded and left to wonder. This is the meaning of the film.

truly, a masterpiece by a master filmmaker; and takemitsu’s score is brilliant. one of the greatest epic films of all time.

My favorite scene from all Kurasawa movies is his version of the forest walking in throne of blood. He was a magician. My favorite film of his is the hidden fortress maybe because it does have a happy ending. Ran is amazing and the ending scene with the blind man having no where to go is simply chilling.

The fotography reminded me a lot Kubrick's Barry Lyndon. The colors are really perfect and it makes the plot simple to follow, it's like Risk board game, with distinct tones for every part involved. The story starts a bit slow but then it gets faster and faster and the plot flies away instantly. I see where Tatantino took a lot of inspiration. Very beautiful film.

I was born in 1985. I watched this movie when i was 12 when in 97.when i am still in love in japanese cultureThe greatest epic,tragical japanese movie ever great respect to akira kurosawa the music is so tragical... masterpiece of sensei kurosawa

From when Kurogane saw Lady Sue's decapitated head until the merciless death of Lady Kaede, that sequence of scenes is just so beautiful and intense, surreal almost. Specially when Kurogane slashed Lady Kaede instantly with Jiro trying to stop him but failing (you can see in his body movements), that scene is just breathtaking the first time you see it. Hell even after a dozen viewings it's still unbelievable.

I was fortunate to be one of the few people that saw the movie in theaters in its initial run in 1985. Truly remarkable. Barry Lyndon by Kubrick is also impeccably filmed in every shot as a comparison of the highest standard of art in cinema.

Ran is just the most amazing movie ever made.

My favorite movie of all time. I watched this movie to mark a landmark in my life as a treat of accomplishment. The saddest part was the brother of Sue being left on top of the castle all helpless and blind. I always wondered what happened to him? Did Kyoami remember seeing him atop the castle 🏰 ruins? 😢 what a way to end the film, such Despair and chaos.

Thank you so much for this Video and explaining the background and struggle that Akira Kurosawa endured to make this film. I saw this film when i was 20, 22 years ago and I would always tell people it was the greatest film ever made. To me Kurosawa will always be the best and you video is a succinct and exact description of the masterful quality of this epic film.

Akira Kurosawa is Brilliant in everything he's done. He's a wonderful storyteller, an amazing artist, a genius in cinematography, his work is poetry. When I first saw RAN in the theater, the Bloody Battle scene you mention where the sounds of the battle were silenced and all you heard was dramatic music, in the film I saw that battle scene had the sound of only the wind sweeping through.

I never knew Kurosawa was also a painters. These paintings shows the depth in colors, the pain, even the beauty in depressing images. These paintings are like Van Gogh paintings

I couldn't agree more. Kurosawa was a genius and the greatest director in the history of cinema. Ran and Dreams are absolutely stunning to watch over and over again. Ran's music score was perfect and still sounds as breathtaking today as it did back in '85. Great video. New sub, too.

The very first film I saw of Kurosawa's was Kagemusha at the recommendation of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel who raved that Kurosawa was one of the great living directors. I was in Reno at the time and then traveled to Chicago where my parents were staying and I remember seeing Kagemusha at quite simply the greatest movie theater I've ever been in to date. Kagemuusha was also the very first film that I've ever seen where I realized what truly great filmmaking was. So I had to see all of Kurosawa's films. I got to see Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress, both great, before the release of Ran. And then in seeing Ran in 85, to date, it's been my fav film ever since in me seeing probably a good 10,000 films or so. Absolutely Kurosawa, to me is the greatest director of all time. Yeah I consider films to be my friends. Thanx for listening.

There’s something so uniquely atmospheric about this film and Kagemusha. Watching them kind of feels like remembering a dream you had and forgotten about many years ago.

I thought that the Lady Kaede was a fantastic character. I was amazed to learn that for Kurosawa the important chracter was the Lady Sue who illustrated the Buddhist virtues of compassion and forgiveness. Whatever, I still loved Kaede.

A truly great movie. All shot with telephoto lenses and with the music by the great Toru Takemitsu, it's the holy grail of cinema.

Greatest there will ever be

The fact that I found this movie has been a God send. This is truly a masterful art piece.

I had heard about the genius of Kurosawa for years without having seen any of his films. Then in late 2019 I watched Ran. I was left very confused. The movie was gorgeous alright, but the story was so despairful I didn't know what to think afterward. Then I watch some of his other films including The Seven Samourai which remained my favourite for a long while, because it's truly a storytelling masterpiece which made me wonder if Kurosawa could control the weather, for real xD. And then 3 months ago during my country's lockdown I watched Ran again. And oh god how it became my favourite. Now I think I'll end up like you, and watch that film once a year. After that I watched The Lord of the Rings trilogy again which I had not seen for like 7 years, and I could not find a fight scene that ressembled the beauty and despair I felt watching the castle raid scene. Makes me wonder what a Lord of the Rings film would look like if directed by Kurosawa.

Yesterday, (nov/2023), at the cinema Batalha in Porto, I watched this movie in a cinema room complete full! At the end of the movie, Kurosawa-san received his well-deserved applause. Now I can't get take it out of my head,. I'm still petrified by this movie! It was so nice, unforgettable!

When this movie released in the US, it was challenging to find theatres that even showed it. My best friend and I had to drive about an hour to an art house theater in downtown Washington D.C. to see it. It was worth the effort. A wonderful experience and treasured memory.

Thank you, I'm speechless...

Finally watched this for the first time and it's stunning from start to finish

Every time I watch Ran, I get a kick out of the triangle being rung (timestamp 1:58), accompanied by the visual of a giant cloud with the sun behind it. Just beautiful

This is probably the best film essay I’ve seen on RU-vid. Great job. Kurosawa had many masterpieces, but the top tier of those are seven samurai, ran, and ikiru. Greatest filmmaker of all time!

I saw it somewhere around 1990 on TV. The images and scenes have played in my mind ever since. The battle scenes I think in slo-mo with the spacey music . . the scene where the father cowers before his banished son "I have no face to show you" . . You really make a good point, Bushido. Thanks for posting.

I’ll definitely give it a watch!

Thank you brother I do appreciate your appreciation of true artist a man.

The greatest cinematic masterpiece of all time. Utterly incomparable to anything. You don't love or like Ran. You feel it in your very soul. Best interpretation of anything Shakespeare full stop. 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

Watched it just now and came here after to see a review by anyone and see if there's more. Thanks for a great video.

Three directors of cinematography. That is rare.

Beautifully shot and designed with the eye for movement unique Kurosawa based on a screen play by Shakespeare, what more could you ask for.

Absolutely. I am just so glad that we got to see Kurosawa make films in colour at the end. This film is bursting with colour, its truly inspiring

Thank you for reminding me of this movie. I saw it in '85, and remember it being completely immersive, though I didn't quite understand exactly what was happening. Thanks for explaining that as well.

Amazing movie from the best director ever. Ikuru, Seven Samurai and Ran are better movies than we deserve to see.

Ran has been my alltime #1 favorite movie since I first saw it. Somehow I lost my first DVD and recently bought another copy. Incredible movie in every regard.

Absolute Masterpiece, better than an "average" Kurosawa and that tells a lot.

Fantastic movie! I am glad that other people look at Ran the same way. I have special moments when I watch it.

Ran is one of the greatest spectacles I have ever witnessed.

A concise and passionate look at Ran.

SOLD! going to watch it literally right now

Ive seen this numerous times and never get tired of it

5:09 - that has to be one of the most perfect shots of any film ever. So simple and yet special beyond comprehension.

It has been some time since I have seen Ran, so thank you for the reminder. I'll have to watch my copy now. Kurosawa is definitely my favourite director and I have a number of his films on DVD. I know he was seen by some as Japan's John Ford but I think he was his own man.

I agree with you Absolutly about this movie. Beautiful... powerful... unforgettable

Love this movie as well. And yes, the visuals are hauntingly beautiful.

Just saw it. Amazing film. Instantly one of my all time favorites. I also love the temple scene. The score at that moment is the best in the film imo. Incredible

Thank you for this tip. I will watch tonight.

One of the best films by a truly great director. I’d like to see “Ran” again!

I have watched it for the 4th or 5th time and it has the same effect on me. Like a powerful cinematic symphony! Just breathtaking, I have no word to describe it. a masterpiece without a term of comparison..Today's movies are rubbish compared to the RAN, almost all of them, but there are exceptions...Great review!

I watched this when it first came out. I was still in grade school at the time. I was blown away at how awesome the movie was. I remember some of the other guys had seen the movie too and we were talking about how badass it was a few days later at school. Truly a masterpiece if you can capture the attention of a bunch of ten year olds.

Along with Stalker, the pinnacle of cinematographic art

I saw this in the theaters when it came out. The cinematography was absolutely stunning, breathtakingly beautiful.

Great movie, I’ve seen it many times, love old Japanese movies....

I watched Ran when I was 15 and was blown away by its beauty and the line "Gods must be mad at us!" It influenced the way I view the world.

beautiful presentation. i am going to watch this tomorrow.

I just bought it! That's why I'm watching this video cause I don't know anything about it! Thanks for the review! Now I can't wait to see it!!!

I would just like to take a moment to thank you for introducing me to this film it is beautiful

The scene with Sue is my favorite too, the accompanying koto music is so rich.

2021 I finally saw Ran in the theater and the print they had was gorgeous!

Recently, ive been binging works of art from manga and anime that everyone classifies as "the best" and somehow it lead me to this video, and since i've never given film a shot, i decided to just pull this up and watch and GOOD LORD, this is amazing, what a fantastic movie, the fight scene in the middle with only music is incredibly mesmerizing. Thank you for making this video! I probably would have never gave this movie a shot if it weren't for it.

"Ran" is a stunning piece of filmmaking. And utterly gorgeous to look at. Though "Kagemusha" is, for me, a more compelling story. BUT... "Shakespeare plays are usually very tragic and usually never have a happy ending" is a woefully benighted - and wildly inaccurate - generalization.

One of the most incredible and memorable films ever. I was proud to own this masterpiece.

I Guess Kurosawa filmed most of his shots during "Magic Hours" of the day. I mean you can only get these colors during that time. You only have about an hour of filming if that's the case.

I actually watched this movie for the first time yesterday and completely agree with the title of this video. It’s such a good movie. If you like Japanese culture or good cinema you need to watch this movie. One of the best I’ve ever watched in my 40 years.

The long shot where the armies collide and the flags of the soldiers start to eddy and swirl on the battlefield like paint on an artists palette.

A perfect preview for a perfect picture.

This is a beautiful film and IMO one of the best film versions of Shakespeare. While the dialog is much different, the visuals and storytelling capture the powerful emotions of the classic play.

I believe, this is the greatest movie I have ever seen too. Haunting, is putting it lightly.

Ran is epicly amazing!

Ran is a reinterpretation of the King Lear. I am 68 and I remember when the movie was released..

Kurosawa saw the Shakespearean tragedy of history. This triumph of film A true leason The understanding of different approaches to a way to achieve outcomes

I remember watching this movie randomly late at night, when I was exhausted and no one was home. I was amazed by the beauty- before it stuck with me for how bleak and dreadful it became. I've seen horror movies and thrillers, I've seen plenty of movies try their hardest to be serious and be like "isn't THIS dark?" but this movie... stayed with me. It proved to me that movies that are colorful and beautiful are unable to become haunting. The ending really just put a bad taste in my mouth, the fact that the king died, and the blind brother had no idea his sister wasn't coming to get him... and he was on a cliff with no idea how to get down... for some reason that just really messed with me. It was so cruel... I absolutely love this movie. I don't know why it effected me this way, maybe it was a mixture of the exhaustion and the fact that I wasn't in a great place when I saw it but I'll never forget it, and the lesson that "colorful doesn't always mean happy or kind."

I agree. Every scene in the film looked like a beautiful and colorful painting. But to me the most stunning scene was the battle scene as the cloud coming over the attacking army --- and running it in slow motion with no sound was brilliant. That made it most amazing. Many men who have been in battles describe them as going so fast as seeming like slow motion and having so much noise that sound just seems to disappear.

I fell in love with Kurosawa due to this film. I have a press book from the release of it. In addition, I have an autographed copy of a coffee table book by his costume designer. Both are gorgeous. Fantastic film in my opinion. I've never seen anyone paint with color like he does.

I agree Beautiful beyond description

GORGEOUS

I totally agree with you. Ran is a film that comes along once in a lifetime..the costumes...the beautiful cinematic vistas...the otherworldly acting...all make this film a cinematic masterpiece. I love Peter as the jester and keeper of the old warlord..he's so pivotal in moving the film along. His scene..in the grass field...as the wind is blowing...he performs a dramatic speech...his lovely hair blowing in the maelstrom. I'm so glad I found your channel.

Good that someone has termed it the most beautiful film ever made. Can't get out of the arrows being shot at the king sitting inside the castle and later he hauntingly walking down disgraced and looking dead. Many other scenes are out of this world and you feel the pain and emotion. Masterpiece

“Ran" is one of the greatest things ever made in cinema. Only negative mention about this work: I regret never having the impact it had when we saw it the first time; although it is always wonderful to see you again. Kurosawa doesn't just speak to the image alone; but, yes, it screams.

I watched RAN about 20 times... so, so, good... I miss my VCD, (sob)

I didnt realize he was that good... detailed with the imagery, every aspect of the shot has a correlation to the scene and to the plot of the story

Thank you. I started RAN and got 10 minutes in before my ADHD kicked in and i stopped watching, i will now make sure to watch it fully through giving it the respect it deserves!

My dad took my sister and I to this movie when it was released. At the time I HATED it... but now I realize what he was doing for us :D Thanks dad!