A Ran for Your Money

A A A Comments By Cory Casciato Thursday, May 27 2010

Few films deserve the title "epic" as much as Akira Kurosawa's Ran, an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear set in feudal Japan. It tells the story of an aging king who decides to divide his kingdom between his three sons, only to see his plan dissolve into treachery, murder and war. Despite being one of Kurosawa's most accomplished works, Ran is one of the director's less popular films.

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"It definitely strayed from the norm," explains Keith Garcia, programming manager of the Denver Film Society. "Some of what he does is very theatrical, sort of like kabuki theater. I think to some people, that just really threw them off. It's still very interesting, tragic and has some really amazing battle scenes in it, especially compared to films like Red Cliff. Obviously, those were inspired by Ran, even though they may not admit it."

For the movie's 25th anniversary, the Denver Film Society is showing it in a brand-new digital, high-definition format. It opens tonight and runs through June 3 at Starz FilmCenter, in the Tivoli building on the Auraria campus. Tickets are $9.75 general admission, $7.25 students and seniors, and $7 for DFS members. For more info, including tickets and showtimes, visit www.denverfilm.org or call 303-595-3456.
June 18-24, 2010

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