Kelly Nolan HIS 389 October 25, 2011

Ran
In Akira Kurosawa s !il" Ran t#ere are "any #istorical re$resentations o! t#e sa"urai warrior class t#rou%#out t#e !il"& '#e !il" is Kurosawa s take on S#akes$eare(s story o! King Lear trans$lante) to si*teent# century !eu)al +a$an as s#own t#rou%# t#e li!e o! t#e a%in% ,or) Hi)etora Ic#i"on-i& '#e #orri!ic battle scenes an) t#e interaction o! t#e sa"urai an) clan #ierarc#y %i.e t#e au)ience a %li"$se o! t#e /arrin% States $erio) in a way "eant to entertain an) not to accurately )ocu"ent #istory& Kurosawa uses t#e !il" to $ro.i)e #is .iew o! t#e $erio) s .iolence an) sel! )estruction t#rou%# social, et#ical an) $olitical issues o! !a"ily, re.en%e an) war, w#ic# are certainly $ers$ecti.es t#at are a$$licable to t#e "o)ern a%e& Kurosawa s #istorical re$resentation o! sa"urai are )e$icte) in Hi)etora as t#e a%in% warrior w#o use) #is talents to lea) a clan& Howe.er, #e also uses t#e c#aracter o! ,a)y Kae)e t#e re.en%e seekin% )au%#ter0in0law w#o skill!ully uses sa"urai warrior ele"ents to e.entually brin% )own t#e clan& /#ile a lar%e $art o! #er actions in t#e story "ay be a stretc# I t#ink Kurosawa uses #er c#aracter as well to s#e) li%#t on t#e ele"ents o! a sa"urai s be#a.ior an) attitu)es& In t#e book, 1'a"in% o! t#e Sa"urai2 34iko Ike%a"i5, sa"urai attitu)es an) be#a.iors )escribe) !or t#is $erio) re.eal t#at in)i.i)uals were re6uire) to #a.e substantial $#ysical abilities, "ilitary $ro!essionalis", an) #onor wit# un6uestione) coura%e 3Ike%a"i 70 5& Kurosawa %i.es us a %li"$se o! a true sa"urai in t#e !il" s o$enin% scene )urin% t#e boar #unt w#en Hi)etora uses #is tre"en)ous #orse ri)in% skills w#ile wiel)in% t#e tra)itional sa"urai
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bow an) arrow& '#e $resentation o! !ear an) res$ect co""an)e) by t#e a%e) sa"urai )urin% t#e #unt transcen)s to #is interaction wit# #is sons an) .assals an) re.eals t#e c#aos an) #orror o! war in t#at $erio)& '#e !il" also $ro.i)es a .iew o! t#e reco%ni8able c#ain o! co""an) an) )isci$line o! t#e sa"urai class )urin% t#e c#aotic /arrin% States $erio)& Howe.er, t#e au)ience sees it en) u$ in )isarray an) en)in% in t#e )estruction o! Hi)etora s clan because t#e sons )isre%ar) t#e sa"urai ele"ents t#ey learne) an) are suckere) by ,a)y Kae)e into ba) )ecisions& Kurosawa uses Hi)etora s sa"urai $ast an) t#e stories o! #ow #is "assi.e ar"ies )estroye) ot#ers in battle to create t#e %reat clan #e was so $rou) o!& '#e )isci$line an) t#e use o! .iolence are t#e core o! Hi)etora s warrior i)entity an) Kurosawa uses #i" to re.eal #ow sa"urai abilities were use) in t#at $erio) to asse"ble lan)s an) buil) t#e .assal0"aster #ierarc#y w#ic# earne) #i" t#e res$ecte) title o! ,or) 3Ike%a"i 895& '#e !il" )e$icts sa"urai #onor ele"ents an) i)entity as t#e sa"urai %o into t#e !ierce battles un)erstan)in% t#at )yin% !or t#eir "aster is t#e #i%#est #onor t#ey can ac#ie.e as t#ey ser.e to )e!en) t#eir "aster 3Ike%a"i 795& I t#ink Kurosawa %i.es t#e au)ience a !un twist in t#e !il" as we %et to see t#e "asculine sa"urai )e.elo$"ent in t#e !or" ,a)y Kae)e s c#aracter& Kurosawa s use o! a wo"an wit# sa"urai be#a.iors is interestin% as #e s#ows ,a)y Kae)e seet#in% wit# re.en%e !ro" #er !a"ily s )eat# an) )estruction at t#e #an)s o! Hi)etora an) bein% !orce) to be 'aro s wi!e& S#e oo8es re.en%e t#rou%#out t#e !il" an) s#e trans!or"s #ersel! $#ysically an) e"otionally in t#e ways o! a sa"urai to %ain control o! t#e sons& Ob.iously Kurosawa wante) to entertain t#e au)ience wit# t#e re.en%e t#e"e an) usin% a wo"an !li$s t#e sa"urai warrior .ision on its #ea) as t#e au)ience sees #er use "ilitary $recision $lannin% an) skill!ul kni!e #an)lin% as s#e con!ronts t#e cowar)ly son +iro& '#e use o! a stron% wo"an an) s#owin% t#e son as cowar)ly is $robably Kurosawa s re!lection o! t#e social u$#ea.al o! t#e era w#en t#e !il" was "a)e as t#is
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was not a stan)ar) in +a$anese society& I t#ink t#e au)ience can a$$reciate #er c#aracter as s#e use) #er skills to )ri.e a we)%e between Hi)etora an) #is sons t#at $us#e) #i" o.er t#e e)%e into "a)ness as s#e %ets #i" to #is $ast an) t#e e.il #e create)& :n!ortunately t#e #istorical accuracy o! suc# acts o! betrayal an) re.en%e by wo"en "ay not be belie.able, but it s entertainin% an) %i.es t#e au)ience so"et#in% to c#eer about& /#ile t#is !il" is set in t#e /arrin% States $erio) t#e story wea.es in "any )i!!erent et#ical an) social concerns w#ic# are conte"$orary like "ental #ealt#, re%ret an) re.en%e& ;or e*a"$le, Kurosawa uses Hi)etora s !all into t#e )e$t#s o! "a)ness to s#ow #ow s#a"e an) re%ret can eat away at a $erson& '#e c#aos o! war is certainly a stron% i"a%e o! w#at #istory re.eals t#e /arrin% States era was about, but Kurosawa t#rows in "ental illness an) re%ret to ensure t#e )own!all o! t#e %reat sa"urai Hi)etora is co"$lete& Kurosawa certainly #as a !lare !or t#e )ra"atic an) t#e au)ience can $robably relate to t#e stress o! war an) belie.e a $erson "ay en) u$ like Hi)etora& Howe.er, I t#ink Ike%a"i s sa"urai warrior o! t#e /arrin% States $erio) woul) #a.e likely co""itte) se$$eku as t#e re%ret an) s#a"e !elt woul) #a.e been seen as )isres$ect!ul an) )is#onorable&
Another interesting social concern in the film was that of revenge not by another clan or samurai warrior, but by a women. Kurosawa uses Lade Kaede to give us a contemporary social and ethical issue of the mistreatment of women seeking revenge. Ikegami has shown us that samurai have fought for revenge in battle or when disrespected but women in this capacity are not discussed (Ikegami 8 !. I believe the use of a women to portray this subplot of revenge was incredibly sneaky film twist and Kurosawa gives Lady Kaede all of the abilities of a male samurai to complete her task. "e see her use sly and suggestive discussions to get the sons #aro and $iro to kick their father out and convince them he must be killed or they will be considered weak. %er calculated moves are those of a seasoned samurai who is skilled and plans actions with military precision. "e also see Lady Kaede use se& as a ploy to control the sons and threaten their manhood if they betray her. %ere actions show that revenge can be a strong motivator to achieve ones desires and we can see that as part of our societal fabric as well even if the film uses it for entertainment purposes. Kurosawa's film is a tremendous statement on the hell of war and the evil of people as they try to break the cycle of violence and murder they are raised within. "hile an entertaining film, the audience does not get a historically accurate

portrayal of the samurai warrior or the "arring (tates period, however Kurosawa provides a brilliant look at the political, social and ethical issues of war as he viewed it.