Ran – How Akira Kurosawa Uses Color to Paint Tragedy
Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (1985) is an epic tale of power, betrayal, and downfall, loosely based on King Lear. But beyond its grand battles and Shakespearean tragedy, one of the film’s most powerful storytelling tools is its use of color. Kurosawa doesn’t just use color to make the film visually striking—he uses it to deepen its emotional weight, showing the slow collapse of order into chaos.
The most immediate and symbolic use of color comes in the way Kurosawa distinguishes the three sons of Lord Hidetora. Each is given a signature color—Taro in yellow, Jiro in red, and Saburo in blue—making their identities, personalities, and conflicts instantly clear. Taro, the eldest, represents stability and authority, but his yellow robe also hints at cowardice. Jiro, in red, is the most aggressive and power-hungry, his color foreshadowing the bloodshed he will cause. Saburo, dressed in blue, stands apart as the most loyal and level-headed, a calming presence in contrast to his brothers' ambition.
As the film progresses, these bold colors fade. War and destruction consume everything, and what was once a vivid landscape of reds, yellows, and blues turns into a wasteland of grays and browns. This shift visually mirrors the fall of Hidetora’s kingdom, where once-defined lines of power and loyalty blur into anarchy. The transition isn’t just aesthetic—it’s emotional, showing how greed and violence strip the world of meaning, leaving behind only ruin.
Perhaps the most breathtaking moment of Ran is the siege of the Third Castle, a battle sequence that feels more like a moving painting than a traditional war scene. Kurosawa strips away sound, letting only Toru Takemitsu’s haunting score play, while red blood splashes across the blackened battlefield like brushstrokes on a canvas. The imagery is unforgettable—violence isn’t just depicted, it’s felt, with color turning it into something almost poetic in its horror.
Through his masterful use of color, Kurosawa ensures that Ran isn’t just seen—it’s experienced. The film’s descent from order into chaos is made all the more powerful by how its colors evolve, reinforcing the idea that nothing—neither power, nor family, nor even the most carefully laid plans—can escape the inevitability of ruin.
