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Ran

Reworking of Shakespeare's King Lear set in 16th-century Japan. An ageing warlord announces his intention to retire and split his kingdom up among his three sons.

Akira Kurosawa's epic masterpiece is a reworking of Shakespeare's King Lear set in medieval Japan.

After a lifetime of battles, 70-year-old Lord Hidetora announces that he is passing his authority to his eldest son Taro. The youngest son Saburo protests and is banished from the kingdom. But instead of fulfilling their father's wishes, eldest brother Taro, now in charge, and his middle brother Jiro are disloyal to the former lord and attack his castle. Hidetora survives, but, following his sons' betrayal, is now losing his mind. When Jiro has his brother murdered, the banished Saburo and his allies return to fight a battle against the remaining brother.

In Japanese with English subtitles.

2 hours, 35 minutes

Last on

Sun 8 May 2016 22:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Lord Hidetora Ichimonji Tatsuya Nakadai
Taro Takatora Ichimonji Akira Terao
Jiro Masatora Ichimonji Jinpachi Nezu
Saburo Naotora Ichimonji Daisuke Ryu
Lady Kaede Mieko Harada
Director Akira Kurosawa
Lady Sue Yoshiko Miyazaki
Shuri Kurogane Hisashi Igawa
Tango Hirayama Masayuki Yui
Kageyu Ikoma Kazuo Kato
Shumenosuke Ogura Norio Matsui
Mondo Naganuma Toshiya Ito
Samon Shirane Kenji Kodama
Koyata Hatakeyama Takeshi Kato
Voice of Koyata Hatakeyama Seizo Kato
Seiji Ayabe Jun Tazaki
Nobuhiro Fujimaki Hitoshi Ueki
Writer Akira Kurosawa
Writer Hideo Oguni
Writer Masato Ide
Author William Shakespeare
Producer Masato Hara
Producer Serge Silberman
Composer Toru Takemitsu
Director of photography Asakazu Nakai
Director of photography Takao Saito

Broadcast