Re: RARA-AVIS: Kurosawa and English subtitles

From: Jim Beaver ( jumblejim@prodigy.net)
Date: 06 Jul 2004


> "Ran," I think, is a hideous mess perhaps best avoided unless you've
decided
> that you love his other movies and need to see them all. In case you
don't
> know, it's his samurai-adaptation of "King Lear." Much, much more
successful
> in effect is his B&W adaptation of Macbeth, "Throne of Blood." Love that
> title.

I dearly love THRONE OF BLOOD, but I think you are in a distinct minority of opinion regarding RAN. I daresay RAN is considered, by most critics, to be one of the great films of all time, from any nation. (It currently stands at #78 in the IMDb's Top 250 films of All Time list -- not necessarily an intellectual signpost, but with an 8.4 out of 10 average viewer rating, clearly not what most viewers think of as a "hideous mess.") I tend to prefer Kurosawa's films with Toshirô ©fune, but RAN is, IMHO, staggeringly staged, beautiful beyond measure to look at, and thematically clear as a bell.

I think STRAY DOG could stand with almost any American noir.

Jim Beaver

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