FILM

RAN
Dir: Akira Kurosawa
Greenwich Films, 1985
DVD Master edition, 2003

At 75 renowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa began filming his adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, Ran. Although the project had been in the works for close to 10 years, it didn't come to fruition until Kurosawa was nearly blind and unable to frame the scenes himself. Assistants used storyboards, which Kurosawa had painted with great detail, to achieve the look he'd envisioned.

Set during the Muromachi period in 16th-century Japan, Ran is a tale of betrayal, greed and honour. It follows the aging warlord, Lord Hiderato, as he tumbles further and further into madness and despair. Like Lear, Hiderato divides his kingdom among his three children, his sons Taro, Jiro and Saburo. The youngest ? Saburo, who respects and loves his father the most ? objects to this decision and is banished from the kingdom. War eventually breaks out between the two remaining siblings and Hiderato is left to wander the planes of Azuro with only his court fool in tow.

Kurosawa incorporates many elements of Japanese lore and theatrics into his epic take on Shakespeare's tale. He refers to images of the Samurai and uses many Noh motifs throughout the film, including facial expressions and masks. The cinematography is breathtaking, managing to capture the raw beauty of Japan's landscape. The soundscapes match the grandeur of the film and help capture the eerie ramblings of the mad old man as well as the violence of the war scenes.

Ran was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1985 but won only one ? best costume design.

Interestingly enough, many of Kurosawa's most critically acclaimed films, like Ran, were flops in his native country, and funding for new projects became difficult. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford-Coppola, all admirers of the great Japanese director, pooled money together to help finance the epic project. The cash injection was much-needed ? the battles scenes at the base of Mont Fuji alone required a staggering 200 hundred horses and 1,400 extras.
? Carla Sparks

BOOKS

RED RABBIT
Tom Clancy
Putnam, 2002

If there's one writer who knows how to decipher the ins and outs of the spy world, it's Tom Clancy. So many of his novels have been translated into box-office hits that if you haven't read one, you've probably seen it on the big screen. Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger may ring some bells.

Red Rabbit surprised me in that although it was written in 2002, it was about what could and did happen back in 1982. Nowadays the Communist threat is long gone and yet reading about the KGB and their nefarious plot against Pope John Paul II makes the threat feel, er, clear and present. In this prequel, protagonist John Ryan has recently joined the CIA as an analyst and is full of angst and insecurity. Naturally, as the threat evolves, it becomes clear he'll have to go into the field as an agent.

Ryan hates flying and being away from his ophthalmologist wife. For physicians what is amusing is to read about his wife's incredulity at the British National Health Service. What especially gets her ruffled are her British colleagues who will interrupt a surgical case to go to the local bar for quick pint of bitter.

Will Ryan prevent the assassination attempt? Of course not! But Clancy could never be that simplistic, not with a KGB defector, or "rabbit," who's divulging information about moles in the CIA and the SIS. One must read on to understand the dilemma faced by all spies and what can be given away without putting the entire operation in jeopardy.
? Dr Markus Martin

NINETEEN
Joan Lau, Ed
Silverfishbooks, 2003

What brings together a collection of 19 short stories written by women? Editor Joan Lau chose ambitious pieces of not just "women's writings" but "writings by women," a differentiation she feels is important. Of the women selected, there are nine writers from Malaysia, three from Singapore, three from Australia, two from Hong Kong and two from the Philippines.

Lau picked stories that caught her eye in the opening lines, with themes like sex, love and loss dominating the writing. In her energetic foreword, Lau writes: "I read each of these stories at least three times now and each time, I get a little more from each of them. They delighted me, shocked me and most of all, made me wish I were a writer."

While each story offers something different and pulls at different emotions, Victoria Button's "Golden Handcuffs" is compelling from its opening line: "Julia wanted to break something." We anticipate the shards of the Song Dynasty vase on the floor, but it is Julia herself who breaks down, the vase whispering: "If you can't break free, why break me. Break free but you can't break me."

Yeow Siew Hoon's "The Pact" lures us into a smoky bar in Singapore where a young woman seduces a man as part of a girlfriends' pact ? to all get laid and tell each other about it over high tea the next day. Hoon's seductress, Jean, is sympathetic and funny, teaching us the lessons of attraction. Hoon ends on a realistic note: Jean ends up in the bathroom at the man's apartment and the martinis end up in the toilet. A tenth lesson gets added to pact rules: "If you have to throw up, throw your hair back."

On a more serious note, Charlene Rajendran's "Polishing" is the only play in the collection but I'm glad Lau chose it. The dramatic dialogue Rajendran creates between an aunt and her niece shows how the "perfect family" breaks down when deep-rooted problems aren't brought out into the open.
? Sarah K Rosenfeld

MUSIC

POST
Bjork
Elektra, 1995

When Iceland's favourite elfin popster released Post in 1995, the industrial-tinged album with nods to trip-hop solidified her place in the Euro club scene. Critics were expecting a lot from her sophomore outing and Bjork didn't disappoint. The album was well-received by all and helped her clinch a second BRIT award for Best International Artist.

Even though it charted at number two in the UK and number 32 in the US, it failed to surpass its predecessor, Debut, and also failed to generate huge club hits like her earlier "Big Time Sensuality". The one thing that Post did do, however, was allow fans and new listeners to discover the whimsical and experimental side of the Reykjavik-native's songwriting. What makes this album so special is the way Bj?k was able to dabble in different styles and still bring a certain synergy to the disc. Post also showcased Bj?k's artistic evolution from ing?ue to international pop star and served as a stepping stone into more experimental waters with eerie tunes like "My Headphones" and "Possibly Maybe."

The album is a far cry from her eponymous album (released when she was 11 years old) that featured covers of Britain's most well-loved pop songs, as well as the music she produced with her old band, The Sugarcubes. Post weaved more metaphorical lyrics with heavy bass drums and high tempo electronic sounds. It also allowed listeners to get a sense of her more comical side with "It's Oh So Quiet" ? a loud and rambunctious homage to old-time Hollywood musicals. Give Post a spin, you'll find many of the tunes feel contemporary and can compete with some of today's more highfalutin electronic artists.
? Carla Sparks

Calling all doctors! Do you have a classic film, CD or book that you love? Would you be intrested in sharing it with your colleagues? If so, why not submit your review to the National Review of Medicine. Send your article to [email protected] and we'll send you a gift if we publish it.