Kurosawa's Ran, Shakespeare's King Lear, and Man's Self-Imposed Cycle of Folly

The plays of William Shakespeare have long been an inspiration for filmmakers from the very beginnings of the art of film, to modern adaptations such as 10 Things I Hate About You and Scotland, PA. In this case, though the events, scenes, philosophies and characters are rearranged and re-coded, other literary elements and influences circulate throughout, and the director definitely ingrains the film with his own ethos, Akira Kurosawa's Ran is the ultimate in Shakespeare adaptation …

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