“Ran” (乱), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1985, B1 Size (71 × 103 cm)
This is an original Japanese B1 poster printed in 1985 for the first theatrical release of Ran—Akira Kurosawa’s late-career jidaigeki epic inspired by King Lear and the tale of a warlord dividing his realm. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai with Mieko Harada, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryū, and Peter; produced by Herald Ace/Greenwich Film Productions and released domestically by Toho and Nippon Herald.
Film background
Kurosawa’s magnum opus stages the downfall of daimyo Hidetora Ichimonji as filial betrayal ignites civil war. With color-coded armies, noh-influenced performances, and a haunting score by Tōru Takemitsu, Ran became a landmark of world cinema—winning the Academy Award for Costume Design (Emi Wada) and earning multiple additional nominations—often cited as one of the director’s greatest works.
Poster design
The B1 detonates with the film’s most indelible image: a fortress engulfed in towering flames and smoke. Slashed across the inferno is the monumental white brush title 「乱」, while the base shows spear lines and scarlet/yellow banners massed before dark castle walls—rain streaking through the battlefield gloom. The upper right bears the release line 「1985年6月1日、日本公開。」 with the Herald mark; the top left carries the authentic Eirin seal (映倫 84510・m). Central credits read “AN AKIRA KUROSAWA FILM ‘RAN’ / 黒澤明監督作品,” with detailed bilingual billing along the footer—an iconic country sheet for the Japanese campaign.
This poster is in very good condition (please refer to imagery of the exact poster for sale).
It is over 40 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
