30 July 2010

Foreign Flick Fridays

I had seen this film years ago when I was in high school.  It's a classic story of greed and family loyalty.  Some liken it to Shakespeare's King Lear.  I haven't read any Shakespeare in years so I suppose I should add that to my summer reading list after watching this movie again.  I am  a big advocate of watching films and especially reading books over again some years later as  your views and experiences alter the way you see or read the story.  This is a long film so I suggest you get into your most comfy jammies and make the big bag of popcorn for this film.  Below is a brief description of the film.

Ran

Akira Kurosawa's brilliantly conceived re-telling of Shakespeare's King Lear magically mixes Japanese history, Shakespeare's plot and Kurosawa's own feelings about loyalty in the epic masterpiece, RAN.  Set in 16th century Japan, and aging ruler, Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons.  Hidetora's decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three heirs when he falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older sons and banishes the youngest for speaking the truth.  That ruthless betrayal ultimately drives Hidetora insane, destroying his entire family and kingdom.  Deep human emotion and outstanding acting combine to create one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time.



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