I've written about this before, and here goes again. One of my favorite movies; it's Kurosawa's movie "Ran," his last movie, filmed in color, a movie as epic as Lawrence Of Arabia or Gone With The Wind.

Based on Shakespear's King Lear, it is a tale of Hidetori, Lord Ichimon, who at 70 years old calls his three sons together and tells them he has fought and been a warlord for 50 years and now wants to retire, keeping only a personal guard of 40 men. He has three castles he has taken in battle in his lifetime and he is giving each son a castle. He will take turns visiting each son and enjoy their hospitality.
Taro, the first son is given the biggest castle, then Jiro gets his, but last son Saburo begs his father to reconsider and keep his lands and property.
One son calls his father a senile old fool, and says "there is no unity among us." One says to his brothers "Greed and ambition will cause you to betray me." One says to his father "You weaned us on blood and battle, now you grow senile and expect us to protect you." But the deed is done, and the castles given to each son.(These castles are elaborate multi story pagoda like wooden buildings.) By then Lord Ichimon may have had second thoughts. Jiro's wife says "Everything is decided in our previous lives."

Hidetori, Lord Ichimon, first visits oldest son Taro, who chases his father away. Unwelcome at Taro's, he goes on to visit Jiro's castle. Jiro turns him out of his castle, and the old man says "I'm too much trouble for you" and leaves to wander in the wilderness with his retinue. He loses his mind and becomes a wild eyed ghostly figure. Saburo, rather than fight with his brothers abandons his castle.

Rejected by his sons, Taro and Jiro tell the peasants if they offer food or shelter to the old man they will die. Jiro's wife is a woman on the scope of Lady McBeth. She jeers at her husband and tells him he must kill his brothers if he wants to take everything and be the Lord. She colludes and connives to achieve his domination.

There is an unforgettable scene where Lord Ichimon walks out of a burning castle, totally out of his mind, his darkened eyes wide and stark and red lined, with his white robes whipping in the wind, his wild white hair blowing around his face, the inferno at his back; he walks through the middle of two armies who part to let him pass, that is one of the best scenes in moviedom.

It's a long show, with twists and turns and some haunting flute music. I like it.

susil