Ran (1985)
Rated as Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, this film set in ancient Japan traces the conflict between the three sons of an aging warlord. Much of the action is rather slow and stylised, and western viewers may find it a difficult film, although the photogrpahy is beautiful;, and there are vast numbers of extras in tjhe battl;e scenes.
The warlord's jester, Kyoami, is played by Shinnosuke Ikehata, a famous female impersonator in Japan, although I did not detect any actual transgender element in this film -- he just plays a camp man.
In the middle of the film we meet Tsurumaru (Mansai Nomura). When he was a boy his father's army was overrun and his castle was destroyed; Tsurumaru himself was blinded. Now he dresses as a female -- "to be like my sister". He appears briefly in three or four scenes -- on teh left in the still here -- and including the poignant final scene when he is taken to the ruins of his father's castle.
HF May 2005
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Ran
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