Ran

15

After years of ruthless slaughter, warlord Hidetora Ichimonji divides his medieval kingdom among his three sons, seeking a peaceful retirement. However, his life descends into chaos as he is unable to escape the greed and corruption within his own family and the torment within his soul.

Swirling mist, rumbling clouds, shade passing across a battlefield – the director harnesses the elements to tell the tale of Hidetora’s growing madness as his offspring jostle for power. 

A magisterial final testament from one of Japan’s greatest directors (though he would make three more smaller scale films), Akira Kurosawa’s Ran was the most expensive Japanese film yet made.