This is a great video essay on the use of color by Akira Kurosawa and his later films. I watched Ran recently, and was struck by the mesmerizing and intensive use of color — it absolutely acts as a tool to help tell the story that is being told. Via this tweet.
I was absolutely mesmerized by this movie. I honestly am not sure if I had seen it before — I would have been too young to really appreciate it when it originally came out, and so I’m pretty sure that, although it was something I’m sure I had the intention of watching through the years, it’s maybe the first time I finally got around to it. A feast for the eyes — the colors especially, during the battles — I found every bit of it to be absorbing, in all its theatrical over-the-topness (it often feels more like a play than a movie). I’m glad I finally got around to watching it.