I recently saw a magnificent restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 film Ran, along with a documentary by the director Chris Marker called A.K., providing a window on its production.

Ran is one of those powerful historical films about leadership and tragic human fallibility, relevant to all eras, and done with some sympathy. Ran combines the themes in Shakespeare’s King Lear with a story about a 16th century Japanese warlord. Hidetora is the main character, a brutal leader who has spent much of his life fighting other warlords to grab more land and power. In his old age he divides his kingdom among three sons but expects that his sons will pledge loyalty to him and each other. The youngest son argues that this arrangement won’t work, that the sons have been raised in a culture of violence, and that’s all they know. Like Cordelia in Lear, the youngest son tells Hidetora a truth he does not want to hear. By the end of the film the sons have killed each other – along with many others.

Ran was mostly shot on dark gray lava flows on slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan. Against this backdrop and with beautiful and intricate costuming, Kurasawa creates visually stunning, highly composed battle scenes. There is also a gorgeous score by Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu.

Marker’s film covers Kurasawa’s art of directing: he marvels at the perfectionist director’s attention to visual detail and light as he works with long-time collaborators. A contrast in styles: Kurasawa’s tight plot and highly rehearsed scenes, alongside Marker, famous for his meditative and psychological essay commentaries on political and economic change.