10 Best Medieval War Movies

Set during Japan’s Sengoku period, Ran (translated as “chaos”) is a medieval war film of a different, but equally tasty flavour. Switching gears from European knights to Japanese samurai, Ran is the 27th film from filmmaking legend Akira Kurosawa – and that should be reason enough for why it needs to be seen.

An adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear blended with Japanese mythology, the film sees an elderly warlord (Tatsuya Nakadai) abdicate his position and divide his kingdom between his three sons, who fight one another to grab power for themselves. A story of madness, greed, vengeance, and so much more, Ran is an epic in every sense of the word.

Made for around $11million, Ran was the most expensive Japanese film for its time, and it shows. An inspiration for Lord Of The Rings and Saving Private Ryan, the battle sequences are a true spectacle to witness. Buildings burn, arrows fly, and blood gushes to the sounds of Toru Takemitsu’s sombre score. There is simply nothing else like it out there.

Though it isn't Kurosawa’s only Shakespeare adaptation (Throne Of Blood is a take on Macbeth) or his most celebrated film, Ran is nevertheless nothing short of outstanding.