Watch Ran

Ran is Akira Kurosawa’s adaption of Shakespeare’s King Lear. The tale fits well into the Japanese medieval setting of battling warlords seeking to enlarge their territories. In the film, an aging lord decides to divide his holdings between his three sons, and demands they declare their love for him. The most pleasing declaration will win that son the best portion. Sibling rivalry quickly rears its ugly head. The youngest son, who has no skill for flattery in spite of his love for his father, is banished for refusing to cater to the old man’s ego. The older brothers quickly fall into scheming against each other and trying to get rid of the meddlesome old man. This ingratitude eats away at the old lord’s sanity, driving him into wild madness.