Ran

After missing out on Ran late last year at Dendy and yet again missing it this year for Ritz’s cult classics lineup, I kinda accepted that I would never get to see this masterpiece in cinemas.  Golden age pulled the fuck through. Made an impulsive decision to go see this on a Wednesday night and man what a movie! This is Hell, the lowest levels of Hell. A family torn apart and left with war due to big egos and relentless pride.  To me, this might be the only war film that doesn’t spend a second of its runtime trying to make war pretty (ironic considering this is the most beautiful looking film ever). Most shots of the war are genuinely disturbing in ways I haven’t felt from other war films. No moment feels like a great strategic decision or good tactical move, because it all leads back to the same result, Death. Death of a father, death of a son, death of a sister.  The Attack on castle three about halfway through the film is one of the most horrific and haunting scenes in all of cinema to me. Kurosawa doesn’t hold back showing concubines killing themselves, soldiers staying alive while they watch there bodies fall apart, and people dying for man who doesn’t feel he’s earned the right to live.  The 4K which I’m happy to have caught was goddamn breathtaking and absolutely shits all over the dvd version I watched about 2 years ago now.  Golden age front row fucking hits insanely different and is my go to spot for that cinema. You’re locked in to the screen and some dude even fucking ditched his chair and sat on the floor during the screening which I thought was a vibe.  Kurosawa at his most nihilistic