“Ran” (乱), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1985, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA721

This is an original Japanese B2 poster issued in Japan for the theatrical release of Ran (乱, 1985), Akira Kurosawa’s late-era epic masterpiece—his monumental reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear transposed to the Sengoku period. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai as the aging warlord Hidetora Ichimonji, with a powerful supporting cast including Mieko Harada and Jinpachi Nezu, Ran is widely regarded as one of the greatest historical films ever made: a devastating vision of power, betrayal, and chaos staged with unmatched scale, colour, and formal control. For collectors, original Japanese theatrical posters for Ran are core Kurosawa holdings—especially in bold, graphic campaign styles like this.

Poster design

A dramatic, modernist design built around Kurosawa’s most iconic late-period title mark: the enormous white brushstroke 「乱」 exploding across a wall of fire. Beneath it, the blackened castle burns while ranks of soldiers and spear points rise in the foreground—an image of order collapsing into catastrophe. The centre credits include 「黒澤明監督作品」 (“A film by Akira Kurosawa”) in vivid red, with the English title “RAN” beneath, giving the sheet a powerful bilingual presence. It’s a perfectly distilled visual statement of the film—apocalypse rendered as calligraphy—and in the B2 format it is exceptionally frame-friendly and visually overwhelming in the best way.

Condition

Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 40 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint. Certificate of Authenticity included.