Kurosawa DU'ers: What do you think the last scene in Ran meant?

[Taverner]

To recap: Everyone is dead. Lord Hidetora Ichimonji is dead, his son Saburo is dead, as are his brothers. All of the kingdoms are at war, and the blind guy's sister is dead. Worse off, she told him to wait while she got help - and left him with a scroll of the Buddha to protect him until she returned. During the ensuing war, she was beheaded but her brother has no idea. He stands upon a precipice, and drops the Buddha scroll. It opens, and the camera pans back, with the brother teetering upon the precipice, and then the camera cuts back to the picture of the Buddha, now open. Credits roll.

Now I've heard a couple explanations of this last scene:

- We (man) is the blind brother lost in the wilderness. Buddha is our only salvation
- We (man) is the blind brother lost in the wilderness. Religion is the only thing we have to hold onto, but even it fails us because it is just as material as the evils we are surrounded by.
- Other....

On edit: that scene is so beautiful and haunting, it puts a tear in my eye every time I think of it.

[Taverner]

1. No one likes Kurosawa?

:kick:

[sakabatou]

2. I need to re-watch Ran

But it seems that the explanation was that the guy who dropped the scroll could only find salvation in Buddha. Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe.

[leftofthedial]

3. if you are blind and seeking answers, scroll down

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no, I mean that's the meaning.

It is a haunting, sad, beautiful and enigmatic scene.

[LoZoccolo]

4. Well, I don't know, but...

Like Kurosawa I make mad films,
'K I don't make films,
But if I did they'd have a samurai.

[mr blur]

5. Ran is, of course, Kurosawa's take on King Lear,

I'd go with your second interpretation. He is on the edge of a terrible desolation/an uncertain world which he can't see but which he knows is there. He is another victim - there is no comfort, no salvation.

[chaska]

6. mr blur beat me to it. Kurosawa ... I miss him. God, what a genius.

[Taverner]

7. Yes definitely a genius

Ever see "Dreams"?

A last breath of hope from a cynical genius.