Ran (1985)
Chosen by me (i've had this on video for well over 10 years) but with a dvd supplied by Andrew who had this to say about it: 'Akira Kurosawa's final Samurai epic is a haunting tragedy about mortality, greed and power. Ran is an exceptional piece of film making especially considering that Kurosawa was almost blind during filming.'
Taking one of Shakespeare's best plays and reworking it for feudal Japan worked well for Kurosawa's Throne of Blood and once again strikes gold here. There is no blistering performance on the level of Mifune in this picture (and the age make up on the old Lord is less than brilliant) but it is full of terrific imagery and an austere tone (all long shots and the first excellent battle sequence has the sounds stripped out leaving a viewer more isolated but contemplative of the goings on) that make this a must see classic.
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