12 Best Film Adaptations Of Shakespeare's Tragedies
1. Ran
Based On: King Lear
Adaptation:
Akira Kurosawa's other Shakespeare film was his last epic and adapts King Lear. Once again, it takes liberties with the play: Lear is a warlord with three sons, Edgar and Edmund are replaced by the wives of two of the sons and the Fool doesn't randomly disappear.
Ran is, without question, the best Shakespeare film ever made.
The acting is incredible, the drama is shattering and the visuals are truly awe-inspiring, making this easily Kurosawa's most beautiful film, but while this stands on its own as a heart-breaking and awe-inspiring epic drama, it's also a fascinating adaptation of the play.
While there are many liberties, Ran is just as complex and haunting as the play and explores similar themes, such as the natural order, chaos and nihilism. The deviations are also great. For example, protagonist Hidetora, in contrast to the merely foolish Lear, is a ruthless and murderous warlord which makes the story more morally ambiguous.
Kurosawa also adds various incredible scenes, such as an unforgettable scene in which Hidetora's followers are massacred in a castle. It may not even resemble the play that much, but it's still the best King Lear movie there will ever be.
With amazing acting, incredible film-making and haunting emotional depth, this is a true masterpiece and a perfect adaptation that both honors its source and adds to it. It's a perfect representation of the magic of Shakespeare and the incredible things that can be done with his plays.