MovieChat Forums > Ran (1985) Discussion > GREATEST MOTION PICTURE OF ALL TIME!

GREATEST MOTION PICTURE OF ALL TIME!

posted 16 years ago by craigjohnson20
35 replies | jump to latest

With threads with titles like "This movie was Bad" and "Directing sucks" - really? Akira Kurosawa is a bad director??? - I thought it might be time for a new thread.

How about "best film ever made." Not just Kurosawa's best movie - which, considering the man made "Rashoman", "Seven Samurai" and "Ikiru", would be huge praise - but best movie period. Yes, that's right, better than "Citizen Kane"! Better than "The Godfather". The best film I have ever seen!

Kurosawa took "King Lear" - arguably, Shakespeare's best play - and actually made it better. By setting it in Japan and changing Lear's daughters into sons - the two eldest fighting over their father's throne, slaughtering his army, and attempting to murder him - the tragedy is so profoundly epic, Kurosawa makes it feel as if the Heavens are weeping and as one dying gaurd proclaims "Hell is upon us!"

Kurosawa's second master stroke was creating an Iago-like puppet master character in the form of Lady Kaede. Like Ichimonji's sons, sexual politics come into play with her character: as a woman, she can never rule her late-father's kingdom; therefore, she must seduce and manipulate Ichimonji's eldest and corruptible sons.

Am I alone in thinking that this is the best film ever made?

[–] killbotdestroyo 16 years ago

I concede that it is certainly up there. Top twenty at the least. Greatest is kinda hard to pin point because you have to balance what is truly great and what you merely like. I personally hold Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as my favorite film followed closely by Die Hard, but i recognize that they are not the greatest. I absolutely Love Kurosawa and am an avid Criterion film collector and I have come to the conclusion That "The Passion of Joan of Arc" just might be the greatest film ever made. Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" or "M" are also good contenders. From Kurosawa though, the glaringly obvious one is "The Seven Samurai" but it's more fun than the brooding dread built up in Kurosawa's "Ran". "Ran" is possibly Kurosawa's Best and possibly the best film to come out of Japan.

KHAN!

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] harryneopotter 16 years ago

To the OP: Try watching Voyna i mir and Mihai Viteazaul. Personal recommendations. This movie was great and possibly Kurosawa's best. I gave it a 10. It deserves it.

[–] ntsci 16 years ago

I think the recent Titus Andronicus and Midsummer nights dreams are better adaptations of Shakespeare (because they stick to Shakespeares Story, and are very well done), but I agree that RAN is an amazing film -- much better the Shakespeares's King Lear.

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RIGOLETTO: I'm denied that common human right, to weep.

[–] gnob4455 16 years ago

completely agree. from the first minute to the last minute, I was completely blown away. Pulp Fiction and Magnolia had allways been tied for my two favorite movies, but I saw Ran and even during watching it I knew, I have a new favorite movie. So, so good. I like to see that Im not the only one.

By the way, saying its better than Citizen Kane is like saying it's better than Paul Blart Mall Cop. Ran and Citizen Kane are on different planets.

[–] MiPueblo 16 years ago

I'll agree with the OP. This is my favorite film, the most powerful I've ever seen.

"Ah, Hon. Ya got Arby's all over me."

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] ozaan 16 years ago

Yes Yes Yes,

i watched a lot of movies. some of them were masterpieces. but Ran is the BEST MOVIE EVER. Citizen Kane can not even get close to this. Godfather? not ever close. Akira Kurosawa did it again. he is definitely best director of all time.

Ozan

[–] aoloser-1 16 years ago

I remember when I first rented it, I was completely blown away. I bought that same copy from blockbuster, and to this day, it is my favorite movie.
Beyond incredible.

Pop. Six. Squish. Unh-uh. Cicero. Lipschitz

[–] starfighter15 15 years ago

As a filmmaker Kurosawa is up on my favourite list of the without a doubt most unique. Stanley Kubrick and Kurosawa go together very nicely in my opinion, as the most innovative visualist story tellers. They are up ahead on my top 10. Always will be I think. Can't decide where to place them both in rank though, haha. Just like judging your favourite movies in order I guess. I believe the true birth of a new format in 'epic cinema' was served in two, very different, but equally outstanding ways by both those artists.

"You're neither. You're an errand boy...sent by grocery clerks...to collect a bill.'

[–] bradjanet 16 years ago

Here are my top ten of the moment, (it changes all the time), in no particular order:

Ran ...perhaps the most beautiful film ever.

Letter from an Unknown Woman ... the most romantic film ever

Chinatown ... the best study of the corrupting power of money.

Some Like it Hot ... the funniest film ever in exquisite black and white.

A Very Long Engagement ... gorgeous from start to finish.

Godfather II ...complex, epic, great performances and cinematography.

The Children of Paradise ... an epic that takes you to another, fascinating world.

Great Expectations ... a great story, brilliantly told.

Amacord ...bizarre, beautiful and brimming with humanity.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

[–] sunraes 15 years ago

Excellent top 10. I especially loved "Letter from An Unknown Woman" and "Some Like It Hot".

[–] bradjanet 15 years ago

Glad you liked it ... there are so many more ...here's another ten:

The original British "The Ladykillers".

"The Big Sleep" ...funny and the highest forties style

"Mulholland Drive" not for everyone, but I loved it.

"The Elephant Man", black and white heaven.

"Bride of Frankenstein" ...also beautiful

"Young Frankenstein", beautiful and very funny ... by far Mel Brooks's best.

"The Innocents" ...great ghost story.

"Farewell My Concubine" ... a heart-wrenching, gorgeous oriental epic.

"The Life of Brian" ... beautiful to look at and breathtakingly funny.

"All About My Mother" ... funny, sad, beautiful, ugly, melodramatic ... like life really.

It is no coincidence that many of these choices are black and white films ... I love good black and white.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

[–] j_money77 15 years ago

I really thought Elephant Man was too syrupy and sentimentally overbearing. I can remeber reading a review or two where the people questioned the credulity of it. A man is illiterate and then, just with a few kind words and new wardrobe he's quoting Homer and stuff. I read that the guy possibly committed suicide as well.
Not trying to knock you for liking it, I did think it had strong content, but it laid on the senitment too thick for me.

[–] bradjanet 15 years ago

He had a lot of spare time and lots of attention in that hospital and a strong desire to be perceived as a gentleman. He was there for a long time, the film of course, condensed these events.

He could be forgiven, I think, for welcoming death given his circumstances and constant pain, though his death was attributed to a fatal sleep apnoea caused by the weight of his head closing off his breathing. He may have just wanted to try sleeping while lying down, like everyone else.

The only real point in dispute is whether Treves was acting, as he, (and the film), presented himself to be, out of pure charity, or whether there was rather more self-interest involved.

It is a sentimental film, but one full of visual delights, such as the sequence of Merrick's theatre visit ...it also has a lovely musical score.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

[–] platinumwindow7 16 years ago

I just saw this last night on Sundance and, yeah, this is a brilliant movie. There's no way around it. Kurosawa managed to remain a vital interpreter of the human condition right up to the end of his life. Absolutely brilliant.

[–] jbw23 15 years ago

Agreed, My favorite film ever made

[–] j_money77 15 years ago

comparing it to adaptions of Shakespeare is a little bit of a fallacy to me---since Ran really ISNT an 'adaption' of king lear---Kurosawa himself said that he only realized the similarities to Lear after he had started writing, and of course, didn't try to hide it. You can say that the author of this movie is directly influenced by Lear---but its not an adaption, like say, Throne of Blood, was for Macbeth.

Great movie nontheless, and I think it stands alone as a great work of art---regardless of the comparisons to Lear---Ran poses some heavy questions about the human condition---thats what I love the most---and it leaves us wandering blindly on a cliff---great movie definitely.