乱 Ran | Soundtrack Suite (Tōru Takemitsu)

[@burtonthomas4340]

Takemitsu is one of the 20th century's great composers and is underappreciated!

[@johnclossick7034]

"Hell's Picture Scroll" is one of the great unsung cues in film history. Thank you Fred for reviving this great forgotten score.

[@pauloamaral6069]

Mu favorite theme there.

[@melissaking6019]

The opening credits music is filled with menace and dread in the simplest music possible. Everything about Ran is a masterpiece.

[@Headhunter_212]

Right up there with "La Princesse de Broglie"

[@burtonthomas4340]

A brilliant score for a brilliant film. The juxtaposition of Takemitsu' ethereal music with battle scenes is magic.

[@aurifaber81]

Just saw Ran again. Didn't remember it was this sad. Very beautiful picture. Kurosawa painted the storyboard over the duration of 10 years.

[@SoundtrackFred]

“Ran” is known as the last epic film of legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It tells the story of the warlord Hidetora, a ruthless leader, who built his empire on the blood and backs of others. When he abdicates his power due to his advanced age, a battle develops among his three sons for control of the empire. Two of the sons plot against their father, while the third son remains loyal, despite being banished by Hidetora from the kingdom. The story ultimately ends in total destruction for all involved. There are parallels between “Ran” and Shakespeare’s “King Lear”, although Kurosawa noted that those connections did not become apparent to him until after he had conceived of much of the script. Kurosawa selected Tōru Takemitsu to compose the music for the epic, who was one of Japan’s most well-known composers at the time and a recognized pioneer in contemporary concert music since the late 1950s. By the 1980s, he also had over 90 film scores to his credit. Composer and director had worked together once before, when Takemitsu scored Kurosawa’s film “Dodes’ka-den” in 1970. While influenced and inspired by many genres (pop-, electronic-, jazz- and traditional Japanese music) he is perhaps best known for his nuanced understanding of timbre and his ability to compose works that enabled listeners to experience it in new ways. So does the music of “Ran”, in its minimalistic and atmospheric way. The most famous musical cue, however (Hell’s Picture Scroll), has a much different style. It is the music that accompanies the ambush of Hidetora’s castle by his own sons. The musical model Kurosawa suggested Takemitsu for this scene was the late nineteenth-century composer Gustav Mahler, whose slow, often tragic orchestral works seemed an appropriate match to the horror that Kurosawa envisioned depicting in this brutal battle scene. Takemitsu initially resisted Kurosawa’s suggestions, but ultimately acquiesced and wrote one of the most heart-wrenching musical cues in the history of film music. Enjoy!

[@robinjackson7882]

Arigato.

[@eryclaver1277]

thanks

[@kingplayze914]

It's Shakespeares "King Lear" set in feudal Japan. Great movie. Coriolanus and Macbeth were done (again) recently enough. Ralph Fiennes directorial debut very strong imo with Coriolanus. Anyway. Kurosawa. The wind. The rain. He's a colossus.

[@PaulGT]

My College Theater Department Chairman at East Tennessee State University loved Ran when I told him about it and its similarities to King Lear. He thought about making a theater adaptation of it. That was in the mid 1980's.

[@brahms1691]

That movie had made a scar in my mind, and I can't forget the colors and Soundtrack

[@amethyst7084]

This is simply amazing. It totally captures the horror that unfolds following Hidetora's abdication of power. I can visualise the movie scenes of the battle that ensues during the taking of Hidetora's castle, and the carnage that follows. Simply amazing score.🎼👏🏾👌❤

[@snowflakepillow8697]

Protip: when playing Morrowind, mod it so "Hell's Picture Scroll" is one of the songs that only plays within the Ghostfence / around Red Mountain

[@GroundPilotsMusic]

Epic

[@jacekohl6402]

Thanks Soundtrack Fred! Such a very interesting sound! Your videos are the highlight of my Fridays!

[@pauloamaral6069]

Hells Picture is the most pungent theme ive ever heard for the image of death and desolation. Btw, its funny how many games with japanese background use a soundtrack that draws its inspiration from.thia movie. Shogun 2 Total War and Ghost of Tsushima, for example. Beautifull flutes.

[@RMAREIDOOM]

Love this soundtrack. 😍

[@nantetoev1188]

9:18 All my soul contained in that

[@morlock2086]

HOLY COW! One of the heavy hitters of the Jidaigeki subgenre of Chanbara films. Thank you! We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're not worthy! OK, geeking-out over and under control. This film broke my heart when I was a wee lad. I was privileged to see it in a small art-house theater while in college. (Unfortunately, I was sitting behind a lady who was dissing the film. What a dismal and ungrateful woman!) As the story unfolded, I was swept up in the tragedy of it all. RAN means chaos after all. I would easily rate this soundtrack in my top ten OST of all time for how it evokes - wrings out - the essence of the film. Tōru Takemitsu steadily built layers upon layers of dread until the final conclusion. One of my favorite films that, had Tōru Takemitsu resigned - like he threatened to do - the film would have suffered. Thank you, Fred for your excellent suite. I can now - after steeling myself for battle - go to work and teach my 6th graders.

[@SoundtrackFred]

Great insights, Morlock! Really appreciating them and being glad you like the video. Thank you very much!

[@Will-tw5og]

Cringe

[@JohnCine]

Wonderful!

[@travisbickle4307]

Ran (1985). Kurosawa's last samurai epic.

[@Suite_annamite]

"Ran" came out in 1985; since the film you're thinking of was "Kagemusha". kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKfRZJqfjL6Nisk

[@mircelalettin]

Attendance at the funeral, so unforgettable

[@austin0_bandit05]

Modern soundtracks have really lost some of the subtlety, artistry, and design intent. Everything is supermelodic and catchy like Star Wars (which I love). But its like they're afraid to have music that provokes reaction beyond being catchy

[@miltonabbiati7598]

🐉👍🏼

[@AnAlieninFrance]

Do you have a song 00:31:38?

[@danahimawan9590]

Hello greetings sir as always a lovely piece of score that you always post. But may i request the soundtrack from the movie called a warm december that was released in 1973, the soundtrack was so beautiful and romantic i’ve been looking for it everywhere but can’t seem to find it, if you could upload it i would be so grateful sir. Thankyou

[@SoundtrackFred]

Hello Dana, unfortunately this score never saw the light of a release in any form (LP or CD), yet and therefore I can't do much, unfortunately. I am afraid we will have to be patient for some time more. I am sorry to say but wishing you all the best! Fred

[@danahimawan9590]

@@SoundtrackFred thankyou very much for you reply sir i really appreciate it hope we can find that beautiful music score soon till then i’ll be waiting patiently and hopefully. Wishing you all the best and good luck for your channel sir keep up the good work for you’re always the best👍🏻. Best regards😊

[@jethrothomasibarreta5892]

Can you upload more soundtracks of Akira Kurosawa films?

[@SoundtrackFred]

Hello Jethro, yes it's possible but it will take some time to the next one. But it will come! Best wishes! Fred

[@kingplayze914]

My 11yo kid plays his recorder like this. I said that sounds like a Kurosawa movie. He said it's supposed to be Mission Impossible. We are now listening to this and he said 'fair enough Dad'.