Overview
A warlord's retirement leads to betrayal and chaos among his sons, forcing a banished son to return and save the kingdom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- harrowing
- mournful
- serious film night
- classic cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Kurosawa's Shakespearean reimagining as a visually sumptuous, emotionally devastating, and masterfully staged historical epic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hidetora's retirement plan fractures the Ichimonji succession and triggers civil war among his sons.
The castle assaults and battlefield formations transform violence into stark, color-coded compositions with minimal dialogue.
Lord Hidetora moves from commanding warlord to hunted and disoriented exile after banishing Saburo.
The sons' greed, succession politics, and shifting loyalties turn a Japanese feudal fiefdom into a battlefield.
Films like Ran, and why
King Lear
Shared feudal power struggles, betrayal, large-scale battles, and tragic Shakespearean gravity.
Kagemusha
Shared samurai setting, moral conflict, striking widescreen compositions, and tragic clan politics.
Seven Samurai
Shared epic warfare, loyalty dilemmas, feudal ambition, and monumental action staging.
The Last Emperor
Shared bleak historical violence, political betrayal, and operatic treatment of war and power.
Movie Details
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Release Date
- 1985-06-01
- Runtime
- 160 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (1923)
Cast
- Tatsuya Nakadai
- Akira Terao
- Jinpachi Nezu
- Daisuke Ryū
- Mieko Harada
- Yoshiko Miyazaki
- Mansai Nomura
- Hisashi Igawa
- Shinnosuke Ikehata
- Masayuki Yui
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, BFI Player Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ran about?
- Akira Kurosawa turns a feudal succession dispute into a vast, color-saturated tragedy of familial betrayal, war, and a ruler's descent into ruin.
- What is Ran like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ran as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ran violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Ran as graphic.
- What did critics think of Ran?
- Critics broadly regard Kurosawa's Shakespearean reimagining as a visually sumptuous, emotionally devastating, and masterfully staged historical epic.
- Which films are like Ran?
- Films with a similar feel include King Lear, Kagemusha, Seven Samurai, and The Last Emperor.
- How long is Ran?
- Ran runs 160 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ran?
- In United States, Ran streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, BFI Player Amazon Channel.
