乱(Ran) by Akira Kurosawa: Discussion

You are right! I'm putting this on again due to popular demand!
As you may know, Akira Kurosama's 'finest' work, 乱(Ran), is based on King Lear by Shakespeare and Sanshi Kyokunjo (Letter of Instructions to Three Sons) by Motonari Mori. King Lear deals with 'propinquity' or close kinship and first and foremost, it is about 'filial piety'. The concept means "parents, grandparents, and older people should be treated with honour and respect", according to the Cambridge Dictionary. More importantly, it has historically been a "traditional Chinese virtue", as it is a Confucian value. So, it is a virtue in Japanese culture too. What's intriguing is that Shakespeare takes a pessimistic view of the notion in King Lear, and Kurosawa follows it. The play also portrays how relationships between brothers and sisters can be volatile and Kurosawa focuses on that too in his film. However, this idea seems more universal: there are records of notable feuds between powerful samurai brothers, including Nobunaga Oda and his brother and Ieyasu Tokugawa and his.

We will, of course, discuss the film itself, which is spectacular, and the back story about its production is fascinating. For instance, as with many renowned Japanese films and anime, Kurosawa found it hard to find funding for this! It'll be on at Prince Charles soon (21st November). You can book your tickets here:

https://princecharlescinema.com/film/3084503/ran/

It is also available on Amazon Prime (Studio Canal).

I hope you'll enjoy the film and look forward to discussing it.😊🙏
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