MovieChat Forums > Ran (1985) Discussion > Marks on Lord's Wife's Head

Marks on Lord's Wife's Head

posted 17 years ago by slapyomama89
6 replies | jump to latest

What were those wierd two marks on the Wife whose Family got burned forhead?
it looks like horns that got cut off or somthing

[–] Suzume-san 17 years ago

They are meant to be eyebrows. Women shaved off their actual eyebrows and drew in false ones higher on their foreheads. The dictates of fashion lead people to do strange things.

Kambei of the Gormful Gumi.

[–] nascentt 16 years ago

Thanks for clarifying this. I too saw the marks and were unsure what they were.

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Why are they doing a sequel to Donnie Darko???

[–] jgroub 16 years ago

You're right about strange. Those make her look bizarre.

I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] land-on-the-moon 14 years ago

as Ebert put it : "in perpetual disapproval"..

[–] dws100 16 years ago

Agreed, its due to fashion. I´ve seen it in other movies.

[–] johnkstone1234 15 years ago

As others have alluded, those were part of the elaborate beautification rituals of courtly Japanese women, dating back to Medieval periods. (In fact, I believe, painted eyebrows high on the forehead were already outmoded in the time Ran is set, but then again, there are several styles over the centuries blended in the clothing, armor, etc., lending a universal or timeless air to the story.)

And as others have suggested, notions of beauty are always culturally determined. To give contemporary example: in the 1970s, women had ample pubic hair; now, practically none is considered sexy. Our current standards would be generally unappealing just a few decades ago, and vice versa. So it goes with practically every part of the body and clothing.