Page 1 of 1
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:07 am
by Reza
Damien wrote:Kurosawa -- talented but ludicrously overrated, I think of him as a Japanese Robert Parrish.
LOL
Incidently watching Ran on the big screen is an altogether different experience. Cannot compare with the visuals you get on a tv screen.
Edited By Reza on 1247375422
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:50 pm
by Damien
I also agree that it doesn't make much sense to watch Ran if you're unfamiliar with Kurosawa's earlier work. I would start with his 40s movies such as The Men Who Tread On The Tiger's Tail and No Regrets For Our Youth and work your way up. As Daniel indicated re: Ran, you can't truly appreciate Old Man movies if you don't know what the director did as a younger man.
Like Daniel I'm not a big Kurosawa fan -- talented but ludicrously overrated, I think of him as a Japanese Robert Parrish. And like John Huston, his very last film is his first truly great film, the extraordinary Madadayo (talk about an Old Man's movie!).
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:00 pm
by dws1982
Genius Products now owns Ran, along with the entire Wellspring catalog. They're reportedly in very bad financial shape, and may be holding out trying to get more money out of Criterion to re-license. I'd guess Ran ends up back in the Collection eventually, mainly because Genius Products can barely afford to release their own films (TWC films, etc.) now.
Edited By dws1982 on 1247364219
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:48 pm
by Big Magilla
There's a rights issue with regard to Ran. Criterion was all set to bring it out on Blu-ray but whoever holds the rights now stopped them. I suspect it will be re-issued by another company within the year.
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:36 pm
by dws1982
At the same time, maybe you should go ahead an watch Ran because the Criterion DVD is out of print now, and Netflix will probably begin phasing it out of their rental rotations soon. YOu can always come back to it down the road.
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:30 pm
by OscarGuy
I just picked Kurosawa films, I didn't really put them in any order. Ran and Rashomon were just the first two that came to me.
The rest are all fairly far down my list of films (Ikiru, Dreams, Dersu Uzala, Hidden Fortress, Kagemusha and Yojimbo seem to have gotten pushed together in the list.)
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:22 pm
by dws1982
Don't know how many Kurosawa films you've seen, but no one should make Ran one of their first Kurosawa films, just like they shouldn't make Seven Women one of their first Ford's, and shouldn't make Gran Torino one of their first Eastwood's.
Rashomon would make a fine introduction to Kurosawa, though. I'm not a big fan of Kurosawa, but Rashomon is a good one.
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:02 pm
by Big Magilla
I assume you're asking me why hold off on Ran. For the simple reason that it's a difficult film to sit through. An appreciation of Kurosawa's earlier work would give you a frame of reference so at least watch Rashomon first.
I mention King Lear because Ran is basically the Shakespeare play moved to feudal Japan. The best version of that is the 1971 film with Paul Scofield and Irene Worth.
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:56 pm
by OscarGuy
Why? It's arrived on netflix, so I want to try and get through it (though don't know if I will this weekend).
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:53 pm
by Big Magilla
Finish disc two of Captains and the Kings. Patty Duke's first mad scene should be coming up.
If you haven't seen Rashomon it'll keep for another day and you shouldn't attempt Ran until you've seen several of Kurosawa's films and/or King Lear.
Edited By Big Magilla on 1247360017
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:21 pm
by OscarGuy
Should I watch Ran, Rashomon or finish disc 2 of Captains and the Kings?