Ran (1985)
96%RT Audience Score: 95%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
30 wins & 23 nominations total
Akira Kurosawa’s sprawling, epic take on King Lear should be required viewing for fans of westerns, war movies, or period films in general.
If you’re into westerns, war flicks, or anything set in the past, you gotta check out Akira Kurosawa’s version of King Lear. It’s like a big ol’ epic that’ll leave you feeling like you just went on a wild ride. Trust me, it’s a must-see for any movie buff.
Production Company(ies)
Greenwich Film Productions, Herald Ace Nippon Herald Films,
Distributor
Orion Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Aso, Kumamoto, Japan
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1985
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 40m
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Language(s):Japanese
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Country of origin:Japan
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 1, 1985 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 22, 2005
Genre(s)
History/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Mieko Harada, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Yoshiko Miyazaki, directed by Akira Kurosawa, written by Masato Ide, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, William Shakespeare, history, drama, R rating, box office gross $454.0K, reviewed by David Robinson, Nigel Andrews, Paul Attanasio, Tara Brady, Kevin Maher, Masato Hara, Serge Silberman, Masato Ide, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, William Shakespeare, Orion Pictures, Magnetic Stereo 4 Track, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Scope (2.35:1), King Lear, abdication, empire, sons, obedience, banishment, war, period film, western, Akira Kurosawa’s last epic, Shakespearean dialogue, betrayal, insanity, horseback battles, traditional Japanese environment, costume design, production design, 4K restoration
Worldwide gross: $4,164,283
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $11,761,996
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,915
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,282,660
US/Canada gross: $4,135,750
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $11,681,405
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,573
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,567
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $10,075
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,705
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $32,481,691
Production budget ranking: 1,109
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $17,491,391
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$38,211,086
ROI to date (est.): -76%
ROI ranking: 1,855
Mieko Harada – Lady Kaede
Akira Terao – Taro Takatora Ichimonji
Jinpachi Nezu – Jiro Masatora Ichimonji
Daisuke Ryu – Saburo Naotora Ichimonji
Yoshiko Miyazaki – Lady Sue
Director(s)
Akira Kurosawa
Writer(s)
Masato Ide, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, William Shakespeare
Producer(s)
Masato Hara, Serge Silberman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
30 wins & 23 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (89) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (85) | Rotten (4)
Ran takes film spectacle to new heights. Kurosawa continues not only to extend his own powers but to exploit new technical advances.
January 29, 2020
David Robinson
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
There is not a wasted second. [Here] is proof of what we seldom doubted: Kurosawa is a director who becomes godlike rather than gaga in old age.
January 29, 2020
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
Kurosawa may not be Shakespeare, but with images like these, he gets at something about the horror — and hopelessness — of being a man that is peculiarly his own.
January 3, 2018
Paul Attanasio
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
One can never be short of things to look at while Kurasawa’s Ran is in the world.
August 8, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
A magisterial achievement.
April 3, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
Jonathan Romney
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Prepare your eyes to be gouged (this is a King Lear adaptation, after all).
March 31, 2016 | Rating: 5/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Over-long, dull in the middle, and unnecessarily tragic…
March 29, 2021
Sarah Brinks
Battleship Pretension
Just in time for its 30th anniversary – and the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death – comes a beautiful 4K restoration…
December 7, 2020
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher
An arresting amalgamation of unforgettable imagery.
September 7, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
One can hardly watch Ran without feeling a sense of prophecy fulfilled. The tragic results displayed in this film suggest we all need to discern more deeply exactly who we can trust to lead us.
April 10, 2020
Ed Travis
Hollywood Jesus
The great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, who has made a career of creating movie masterpieces, has at the age of 75 given the world a monumental work.
November 6, 2019
William Wolf
Gannett News Service
This film is the visual epic of the year, and one of the few really great movies of the 80s.
January 30, 2019
David Elliott
Copley News Service…
Plot
After consolidating his empire, Lord Hidetora Ichimonji decides to divide his domain amongst his three sons, but when his youngest son defies his elder brother, he is banished in Akira Kurosawa’s epic take on King Lear, Ran.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Tatsuya Nakadai’s portrayal of Lord Hidetora Ichimonji is described as “emotive and poignant” by an audience reviewer.
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