Akira Kurosawa’s brilliantly conceived re-telling of Shakespeare’s King Lear magically mixes Japanese history, Shakespeare’s plot and Kurosawa’s own feelings about loyalty in the epic masterpiece, RAN. Set in 16th century Japan, an aging ruler, Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai), announces his intention to divide his land equally among his three sons. Hidetora’s decision to step down unleashes a power struggle between the three heirs when he falls prey to the false flattery bestowed upon him by the two older s