Go on with your bad self

This is Ran by Akira Kurosawa, made in 1985. I don't know anything about it. Only that I watched Stray Dog by Akira and then went looking for more by the same director and that I was sick of watching black and white movies and that the font used in the title looked raw.

The actors were brutally good and each frame could be a beautiful painting. And in sequence for 2 hours it felt more like reading a comic book. Even the colours in the movie were perfect.

EDIT: As it turns out this is Akira's vision of King Lear set in Japan during the times of the civil wars, the 16th century I think.

It was his 27th movie (out of 30) and he was 75 at time of completion.

It cost 260 million yen and was 10 years in the making. When it appeared as though the film would not receive funding he began drawing illustrations of each character and costume and mapping out their psychology.

Watch also "it's wonderful to create Ran". A series of documentaries on Directors and the movies they've made.

Great stuff on lighting, camera angles, set designs, makeup (be bold with the makeup!), costume...

His 1980 film, Kagemusha, was said to be a practice run for Ran (for essential elements such as horse training and castle set building)