> "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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