flyingferret 0 #1 March 23, 2005 After having the netflix envelope on my desk for a year, literally, I watched Kurosawa's Ran: Masterworks Edition last night. I am impressed, yet not overly so. Kind of like Japanese Shakespearean drama. Yet, I do not know how Ran compares to say Yojimbo, Rashomon, or Seven Samurai. Any thoughts or suggestions from fans?-- All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
demoss99 0 #2 March 23, 2005 " Like Kurasawa I make mad films....Okay, I don't make films....But if I did they'd have a Samurai..." - BareNaked Ladies. "I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingferret 0 #3 March 23, 2005 Yes, not a real green dress. But, as far as Kurosawa goes?-- All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
racer42 0 #4 March 23, 2005 RAN is a big screen movie. It's basically King Lear in Japan. Great film.L.A.S.T. #24 Co-Founder Biscuit Brothers Freefly Team Electric Toaster #3 Co-Founder Team Non Sequitor Co-Founder Team Happy Sock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crotalus01 0 #5 March 23, 2005 Kurosawa was one of the greatest directors of all time. Ran is a great movie, both storywise and visually. i would recommend High and Low, Red Beard, or Ikiru for people who are unfamiliar with his films as a jumping off point. or if you like Shakespeare check out Throne of Blood (MacBeth in feudal Japan). Kurosawa has had several of his films remade into major (mostly uncredited) hits - Star Wars = The Hidden Fortress Yojimbo and Sanjuro = Fist Full of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, Last Man Standing (Bruce Willis) Red Beard = Doc Hollywood High and Low = Ransom (Mel Gibson) just for the record, Ikiru is my favorite of his films, and one of the most touching films ever made. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
larsrulz 0 #6 March 23, 2005 QuoteRAN is a big screen movie. It's basically King Lear in Japan. Great film. Not basically, it is a Japanese interpretation of King Lear. And definitely an excellent movie. Kind of wierd to say, but I read King Lear a few months before I first saw Ran quite a few years ago, and I liked Kurosawa's version better...is that wrong? Seven Samurai is hands down his best work. Yojimbo is definitely up there, but I think Ran is his next best work, considering it isn't that well known by people who really liked his four samurai works. Kurosawa was truely in his prime for Ran. It was released a good 20-30 years post-"his samurai classics." Some movies just take a certain type of director, and Ran was one of them. If you didn't like Ran a whole lot, then I would say you probably won't like Kurosawa's non-samurai films, so only get them if you can't think of anything else. And Crotalus, better be careful of declaring Star Wars as a remake of Hidden Fortress. It was a basis, but a far cry from a remake. But Hidden Fortress is definitely a movie to watch in a humorous sort of way. Not really that great a movie, but the correlation between that and Star Wars provide constant amusement. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #7 March 23, 2005 He also wrote "Runaway Train" and was slated to direct it... Amazing director. "For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #8 March 23, 2005 QuoteRAN is a big screen movie. It's basically King Lear in Japan. Great film. Totally agree. I got the chance to see it in Lincoln Park Chicago a few years ago. The screen was a few stories tall and veeeerrry wiiiide. They had huge sound boxes surrounding the knoll, so when the big samurai battles took place, you could hear the horses running past you from screen to behind the audience....wow! For smaller screens, I would recommend most any of Kurosawa's movies. He was the best. For more samurai, of course the classic is Seven Samurai. That was turned into the Magnificent Seven cowboy movie. -Yojimbo and Sanjuro were translated into Clint Eastwood cowboy movies. -Kagemusha is primo....he did it to show that he could film the even more epic RAN, and Spielberg Lucas and Coppola produced it. -The Hidden Fortress was ripped off 100% to create Star Wars. It has the princess protected by a general and 2 sidekicks, etc. -Throne of Blood was his version of Macbeth. For more human scale drama..... -Ikiru (story of an old man realizing life's value) -Dodeskaden....surreal look at the homeless in Tokyo. -Stray Dog (post wwII look at cops and robbers) By the way, he wrote the screenplay to one of my alltime favorites....Runaway Train with Jon Voight and Eric Roberts. I envy that you will be seeing these movies with fresh eyes. I love them all! marc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #9 March 23, 2005 QuoteRed Beard = Doc Hollywood High and Low = Ransom (Mel Gibson) Yeah never thought about those....! I had a business call so hit the post reply button a while after writing my post, didn't see the more recent comments. Agree with all of you but just cause someone doesn't like the samurai films doesn't mean he won't like the other dramas. nice to hear from my fellow movie addicts! marc ps anyone ever see OZU's Floating Weeds? Just came out on new Criterion reissue... "The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
larsrulz 0 #10 March 23, 2005 Add Rashomon to the list....looks at a rape and murder from four different points of view. Each having their individual contradictions...again, had a huge influence on "The Outrage" if you've seen it. Definitely an excellent film. Early 1950's, so one of Kurosawa's early films. I got a strong urge to fly, but I got no where to fly to. -PF Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingferret 0 #11 March 23, 2005 Well, I never said I did not like Ran (if you were using you directly rather than general 3rd person). It was rather that after hearing a lot of "The best director of all time" stuff, I saw Ran as impressive but not that impressive. Perhaps that is n part, because we see it as the retelling a classic drama already known. Thanks for the feedback though, I think I will queue up Seven Samurai and Hidden Fortress.-- All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islandcool 0 #12 March 23, 2005 I liked Ran a lot. I thought his work was really impressive in "Dude, Where's my car?" Cinematic tour de force I tell ya. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #13 March 23, 2005 Ran was the first movie in my collection.. i need to pick up the DVD now that the masterworks edition is out.. also a less well known but very accessable Kurosawa movie is "Dreams" a series of shorts that are simply incredible...____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #14 March 23, 2005 Quote"The best director of all time" stuff, I saw Ran as impressive but not that impressive. Perhaps that is n part, because we see it as the retelling a classic drama already known. the key word there is "director" not writer... Ran is one of the best interpretations of Lear ever, and certainly on of the very best screen versons... but a live performace with good actors will always trump a 2D screen projection IMO____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingferret 0 #15 March 23, 2005 Yeah, I guess you have a really good point I had failed to consider. It was his work in one way, and not another. That might be exactly what I needed to hear.-- All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crotalus01 0 #16 March 25, 2005 QuoteAnd Crotalus, better be careful of declaring Star Wars as a remake of Hidden Fortress. It was a basis, but a far cry from a remake. okay, i will agree, although no less than Lucas himself has said that Star Wars is a remake of Hidden Fortress. and there is no doubt that R2D2 and C3P0 are the characters from Hidden Fortress protecting the princess. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hipwrddude 0 #17 March 25, 2005 Kurosawa, wow! What an awesome director! Astute moviegoers know that motion picture events usually come from exceptional directors--ones who portray events as moving portraits. From all the films mentioned above who would guess that he shot the Japanese sequences of "Tora, Tora, Tora." Although "Runaway Train" was based on a story by Kurosawa and directed by a Russian, it's so much better then the movie trailer (which is probably why it fared so-so at the box office. http://videodetective.com/home.asp?PublishedID=1414 You're always the starter in your own life! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
