Ran, review

Ran

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni

Hidetora Ichimonji, the main character: Tatsuya Nakadai
Taro Ichimonji, Hidetora’s eldest son:  Akira Tarao
Jiro Ichimonji, Hidetora’s middle son: Jinpachi Nezu
Saburo Ichimonji, Hidetora’s loyal son: Daisuke Ryu
Kaede, evil wife of Taro: Mieko Harada
Lady Sue, Jiro’s wife: Yoshiko Miyazaki
Tsurumaru, Sue’s blind brother: Takeshi Nomura
Kyoami, the jester: Shinnosuke Ikehata
Tango Hirayama, the wise:  Masayuki Yui.

The film starts in the aftermath of the hunt. It is noted that Hidetora is having a great bit of trouble compared to what he had been going about his entire life. In his younger days, he could route an army without breaking a sweat, but now he was having difficulty bringing down a boar. It is very clear that the seasoned warlord is aging, and will soon not be capable.

During the aftermath of the hunt, Hidetora has a nightmare. Convinced by the frightful aspect of it, he decides to abdicate his rule to his sons. Taro and Jiro offer no resistance to his plan, but Saburo regards it as foolishness.  Not wishing to be stood against, Hidetora banishes Saburo, diving his power between his other two sons.

It doesn’t take long for the situation to start going against what had been planned. Hidetora, while defending Kyoami, slays one of Taro’s guards. This irritates Taro, and prompts him to force his father into a contract. Hidetora reluctantly signs, before deciding to no longer stay in the lands of his eldest son.

He then goes to stay with Jiro. Jiro states that he will only accept Hidetora, and none of his men. Furious, Hidetora also refuses to stay with Jiro, and thus departs.

On the road, they had no place to go. Matters were made worse, as there had been a degree that punishment would come to any who assisted the old man.  His sons seemed to have something against him at this point, and Hidetora sensed it. He thus decided to take up residence in an empty fortress, hoping to avoid whatever negative will had been placed against him.

The fortress, however, turned out to be a trap. In an attempt to remove the old man permanently, Taro and Jiro launch an attack on the fortress, receiving very little resistance. Taro is slain in the chaos, and Hidetora simply walks out, with Jiro incapable of giving the order to finish him.
Hidetora is found yet again by Kyoami and Tango, and the two begin taking care of him in his emotionally weakened state. They suggest that he go to Saburo, but Hidetora refuses due to shame. They take him first to the house of Tsurumaru, whom Hidetora had earlier demanded be left blind. Oddly enough, this man had no qualms with taking care of the man who had made his life hell.

Back with Jiro, Kaede comes to him furious about her husband’s death. She threatens him, leaving him alive with the promise that she will stay in her family’s castle. To further her foothold, she demands that she be his wife, and thus demands that lady Sue be slain.
Hidetora, by this time, had been moved to a fortress that he burned. Lady Sue had been preemptively warned and escaped to the same place with her brother. Things were needed elsewhere, however, so Sue went to retrieve Tsurumaru’s flute and Tango went to retrieve Saburo.

Saburo then enters the stage, determined to take his father back. Jiro refuses to let him. A minor farce of a battle ensues as the search for Hidetora is carried out, ending with Jiro retreating and Saburo finding Hidetora. The happy ending is cut short, however, when Saburo is shot, and Hidetora collapses out of grief. Back at the castle, it is revealed that Lady Sue has been slain, and that Kaede had been hoping to drag the situation down into the dirt. Kurogane, Jiro’s general, takes it upon himself to slay her, and give some rest to the Ichimonji’s.


Divine_Malevolence: The old guy was a very interesting fellow. Strict one second, overly open with his boys the next.

Sam Glass: ? strict one?

Divine_Malevolence: They mentioned something about his normal behavior being that of directing.

Sam Glass: the old lord? he conquered his territory by authoritarian methods.. we heard all through the movie how he killed and tortured his enemies

Divine_Malevolence: He was mean to his enemies, and he was more of a leader to his kids than a father. They wern't used to him being nice.

Sam Glass: yes. true.. but was interesting to me about his sons was that the one was most afraid of, and the one he was the worst to when it came time to divide up his land... Sanjuro.. ended up being the nicest to him

Divine_Malevolence: Sanjuro was the fake name of Mifune's character in Yojimbo and Sanjuro. He was Saburo.

Sam Glass: aha, Grasshoper

Divine_Malevolence: And it was because he was honest. The other brothers were merely attempting to remain on his good side.

Sam Glass: the other brothers were more interested in power and land.. Saburo was more interested in his relationship with his father.. like in the end.. when they were going to have that long father to son talk.. and he was shot

Divine_Malevolence: 'Twas a good guy, Saburo. Saw no need in falsehoods, and remained honest to the end. Where he met the wrong side of a rifleman.

Sam Glass: but the same issue with the blind man.. sister to Taro's wife and another of the conquered.. he was nice to the Old Lord.. even though the old man was afraid

Divine_Malevolence: Poor blind man. There was resentment, and I think he would've done something if he could see. But, alas, he had no eyes.

Sam Glass: But he gave anything to the Old Lord.. even though he had nothing to give... and he played the flute.. how is his playing compared to yours?

Divine_Malevolence: Different styles of flute. And he really had no reason not to. It wasn't effecting him negatively, and they would've forced it out of him if he refused.

Sam Glass: But he was so kind and relaxed..  and Juro's wife... also a victim of the Old Lord's cruelty... seems unwise to let her live and marry his son or she will just come back and get him in the end... and she did.

Divine_Malevolence: The evil one? Kaede?

Sam Glass: I have them backwards.. Taro was oldest with evil wife victim of Old Lord.. and Juro had Buddhist wife who was sweet... and the blind brother.

Divine_Malevolence: Poor Sue.

Sam Glass: Yes evil. She must really have some kind of skill under the sheets if Juro would agree to cut his wife's head cut off...

Divine_Malevolence: Or Juro was just a moron.

Sam Glass: That is obvious! But thinking with the "little head" is a common joke amongst men... was she that good?

Divine_Malevolence: I 'unno.

Sam Glass: Yea, got to think rationally there.. always millions of other fish in the sea.. especially if you are lord.. I liked what Juro's advisers said as he was leaving for battle "A Man doesn't run to his wife when leaving for battle.."" or something like that.

Divine_Malevolence: She was very manipulative indeed.

Sam Glass: Yea.. and what about the Fool?  Clown?

Divine_Malevolence: I'm surprised only one person tried to kill 'im.

Sam Glass: But he was entertaining.. and wise

Divine_Malevolence: And was wondering what his gender was for most of the movie.

Sam Glass: Aha.. not me.. obvious male.. no confusion here..

Divine_Malevolence: But he broke down into tears one too many times.....
[
Sam Glass: "When a man's born he cries, when he's had enough he dies."  And something in the end about the Lord being the one that doesn't make sense and he wasn't.. and now roles were reversed.

Divine_Malevolence: Striving for immortality with a never-ending stream of tears.

Sam Glass: ? Quote? Or your thoughts?

Divine_Malevolence: My thoughts.

Sam Glass: OK.. overall.. what was the movie about to you?

Divine_Malevolence: The power hungry destroy what's good in the world.

Sam Glass: Build and destroy! I thought it was about how things you do in life can come back to bite you in the ass.. and how difficult it is to transfer power to multiple sons who want to rule... and how a good person who loves his father is there no matter - interesting Saburo told his father what was on his mind?

Divine_Malevolence: Ah, yes, there was a bit of karma about it.

Sam Glass: Karma.. good.. but Saburo told his father he was wrong.. to his face and in front of others... courage

Divine_Malevolence: Though karma doesn't exactly explain why Tsurumaru lost his sister.

Sam Glass: his sister was the Buddhist.. she was at peace with herself

Divine_Malevolence: And she got her head chopped off going back for his flute.  After he pleaded to not be left alone. Poor dude.

Sam Glass: Yea.. but Saburo... telling his father how it is? What about it dude? Would u ever be able to do that?

Divine_Malevolence: Saburo didn't suck up enough to stay in favor.  And what favor is there to stay in? If anything that'd have a negative effect.

Sam Glass: The other brothers didn't say anything and they got the power.

Divine_Malevolence: Because they didn't stand up against their pops.

Sam Glass: Yea.. but the good son did. And my unanswered question to you? Could you say it to me?

Divine_Malevolence: I 'unno. Maybe? Would such a situation arise?

Sam Glass: Always. We always need people beside us to tell the truth.. no matter how hard it is. As you saw.. yes men can't be trusted. I believe this is another message of the movie...

Divine_Malevolence: Cannot trust people. Like with Rashomon.

Sam Glass: But you can trust some.. that is the point.. who can you trust and who can't you..

Divine_Malevolence: You can usually trust the people who say it like it is.

Sam Glass: Exactly... courage.

Divine_Malevolence: Heart. Speak one's mind even when negative consequences are about. Care more about the truth than security.

Sam Glass: or feelings.. so back to you again... Grasshopper.. see my point about us? Hard isn't it?

Divine_Malevolence: Not quite sure.

Sam Glass: I've never heard you critical of me... and I'm not perfect.. granted I'm not looking for someone to be negative all the time.. but like in the website... your opinions and ideas? very very valuable to me...

Divine_Malevolence: I'm not critical of anyone. People aren't perfect, and callin' 'em out on every negative aspect isn't a way to get things done.

Sam Glass: We're not talking about all negatives.. but you see the point of the movie above.. you even admitted it.. the "yes men" aren't trusted and the ones that go along are not...  something to work on...?

Divine_Malevolence: But one shouldn't just say no for the sake o' saying no. If something's sensible, there's little trouble going along with it.

Sam Glass: True.. but assertiveness is a skill and something to be honed.. like a sword.. it can't be used unless it is ready.

Divine_Malevolence: But one musn't be needlessly assertive. Putting too much pressure on breaks things.

Sam Glass: Brick wall! But if one is never assertive, it is quite another story.

Divine_Malevolence: Thus one must find balance.

Sam Glass: Grasshopper! Great.. anything else on Ran?

Divine_Malevolence: Nicht that I can think of.

Sam Glass: OK, any suggestions for next week?

Divine_Malevolence: Dis Kagemusha that you mentioned?

Sam Glass: Yea.. OK good..

Yojimbo, review

Yojimbo

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Writers: Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune - Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai

Tatsuya Nakadai - Unosuke, gunfighter

Yôko Tsukasa - Nui

Isuzu Yamada - Orin

Daisuke Katô -Inokichi, Ushitora's rotund brother

Seizaburô Kawazu -Seibei, brothel operator

Takashi Shimura - Tokuemon, sake brewer

Hiroshi Tachikawa - Yoichiro

Yosuke Natsuki - Kohei's Son

Eijirô Tôno - Gonji, tavern keeper

Kamatari Fujiwara - Tazaemon

Ikio Sawamura - Hansuke

Atsushi Watanabe - The Cooper (Coffin-Maker)

Susumu Fujita - Homma, instructor who skips town

Kyû Sazanka - Ushitora

Divine_Malevolence:  The story begins following a wandering samurai of name and origin unknown. He seems to have very little overall purpose, leaving his trailblazing up to fate by choosing his path with a stick. A small ways down the road, he stumbles upon a family, where the son is foolishly leaving to go join a gang.

Interested, the samurai ventures into the town. He is greeted by a corrupt officer, who tells him that good work is available in the form of being a bodyguard for either of the two warring gang like factions. Hardly interested in such a line of work, he instead enters a small establishment where he meets what would be one of very few allies.

This man tells him of the town, and the situation that they were in. Of how the former boss had died, leaving his son and his left hand man to fight over the position of power. The fact that they had been doing so left the town in a very poor state, where he worried about its continued survival. Finally interested, the samurai decided he would stay and put an end to the insanity.

He first went to the son, and hired himself out for fifty Ryo, attaining such a high price by killing three of the other faction’s members. Took twenty five before, and was promised twenty five after a job well done. The son later decided that even though he had agreed to such terms, it was a truly foolish thing to do, and he would later kill the samurai to keep his money. Unfortunately, he was overheard.

Later, when the son decided to instigate a battle with the new strength on his side. Once they took to the field, the samurai exclaimed he would not fight for a man who would later kill him, and took to merely watching it unfold. There was no actual fighting, as both sides were extremely cowardly, and it was broken up by news that an inspector was to inspect them.

The inspector’s arrival sparked a period of inactivity between the two factions. During this time, the samurai went about observing the life in the town, and the inspector. And during this time, his plot formed. Both sides decided they wished to purchase his aid, and both thus came simultaneously. He refused them both, and merely waited for the next piece of news.

News came in the form of a dead official a ways away, which was sure to draw the inspector away. On top of that, both sides were coming to some sort of forged peace, where they would reign together. The samurai, knowing that it was far too convenient for both sides, set out to investigate the drunken subordinates. One of those who worked under the previous boss’s left hand confessed to doing it for little over a Ryo, and was then captured and sold to the son’s faction.

Not at all satisfied at that, the samurai also went to the left hand and told him of the plight his subordinates were suffering. This caused the fragile truce to shatter, and the second faction took their own hostage to barter with. It came to a trade, where both sides took shots at each other in any way they could. In the end, the son’s own son was traded back for the second faction’s two assassins, and a woman known to be the wife of a villager.

Having seen the condition of this woman, the samurai hired himself to the second faction for sixty Ryo. He was accepted into their order, and used the opportunity to free the woman while further aggravating things between the two factions. They struck out continuously at each other, until the second faction heard news that the woman that was rescued had, indeed, been rescued. With only a small bit of excess evidence, they found it was the samurai and thusly imprisoned him.

But what type of warrior stays imprisoned? He broke out with a great deal of effort, and planted the story that he had fled into the protection of the son’s faction. The second faction took this as an opportunity to wipe out the first, and in the end didn’t find the samurai. His ally, the shop keeper, took him to a temple to get back to fighting strength so that he could later flee.

Of course, the shop keeper was then found and captured himself. This provoked the samurai to come back, while not fully recovered, to save his friend. A bloody and one sided battle ensued, the samurai standing victor over the remnants of the two factions who had plagued the town.

Sam Glass: awesome! u catch what yojimbo means?

Divine_Malevolence: I think it means bodyguard.

Sam Glass: ahh.. well he wasn't much of a body guard.. but the town was quiet when he was finished!

Divine_Malevolence: But I can't find anything, so I think it was made up for the movie.

Sam Glass: I think I read bodyguard somewhere

Divine_Malevolence: In the movie.

Sam Glass: yea.. so the samurai was ronin?

Divine_Malevolence: Yup. He had no master. And no real aim early on either.

Sam Glass: yea.. i liked the beginning where he threw up the stick to see which way he would wander

Divine_Malevolence: Yup yup. If it had pointed a different direction, none o' that would've happened.

Sam Glass: Yea. But what a town! Would it happen here? Two bosses divide the town? Or is it purely Japanese?

Divine_Malevolence: ?

Sam Glass: The feud was between the two sides... the restaurant owner said early on the problem was they both wanted to control the town.. kind of like the mafia I guess

Divine_Malevolence: Yup. Evil factions.

Sam Glass: Hired guns. I liked the time keeper... wonder if that was in all towns.. what was the wood about, u know?

Divine_Malevolence: The wood was to make a loud slapping noise. Like when the people play the bugle in the military.

Sam Glass: Yea.. but it was nice and crisp. What did u think about the shooter. He had an evil grin?

Divine_Malevolence: Cocky guy. Felt naked without his gun. I wonder what he was doing when he wasn't in town.

Sam Glass: Lol.. hired to someone else?.... I thought it was a lucky knife shot to bring him down..

Divine_Malevolence: At the beginning. He showed up halfway through.

Sam Glass: Yes.. but the scene where he fought the samurai.. at the end where they were walking towards each other down the street... and the wind was blowing... they were close and he was about to fire.... and then the samurai whips out the knife and gets the shooter in the forearm!

Divine_Malevolence: He practiced for that. And it was a nice throw.

Sam Glass: Yea, I'll say nice!

Divine_Malevolence: Who needs a gun when you have a dirty knife and a decent throw?

Sam Glass: Yea!! What about the rest of the samurai's fighting? Everyone else seemed unskilled.

Divine_Malevolence: Only when compared to the main character. He was a beast. All else pale in comparison.

Sam Glass: Fathead?

Divine_Malevolence: The slow younger brother?

Sam Glass: the giant with the hammer

Divine_Malevolence: Oh. He was brute force, not skill. Probably there to beat up prisoners.

Sam Glass: kind of dumb not to look in the trunk

Divine_Malevolence: Truly. But what more can one expect from gangsters?

Sam Glass: exactly...and the money? he gave 30 to the family of the rescued woman.. did he take any for himself?

Divine_Malevolence: Not a greedy ronin. He was a man of simple taste. Divine_Malevolence: Saving towns for food.

Sam Glass: yea.. and sake

Divine_Malevolence: Mighty fine life.

Sam Glass: yea.. but how can he face his struggles so calmly?

Divine_Malevolence: General apathy?

Sam Glass: facing death? it takes something to put your life on the line over and over.. after-all it only takes one cut and it would be over for him

Divine_Malevolence: He seems like he's lived a full life and wouldn't otherwise mind.

Sam Glass: The Bushido book I'm reading says every samurai should start and end each day visualizing all the various ways they could die...  burning, cut, drowned... exploded... would that make u calm?

Divine_Malevolence: If I had a way to prevent it.

Sam Glass: but they expect it.. i think that is the difference.. they were special.. and that is what made them calm.. their acceptance...

Divine_Malevolence: Yup yup.

Sam Glass: well.. what else did u like?

Divine_Malevolence: Cool shop keeper. "It's free, just get out."

Sam Glass: yea.. once he figured out the samurai was a good guy

Divine_Malevolence: At the beginning as well. Though once he saw a good idea he didn't think twice again.

Sam Glass: yea.. i see that. The coffin? Interesting design...

Divine_Malevolence: And they were going to take him out to bury him. Very interesting.

Sam Glass: power cycling here.. internet down again

Divine_Malevolence: Hello.  Say "Ninja"?

Sam Glass: Next week Rashoman?