With TV being their go to medium, Hulu is slowly making a name for itself with the feature films that it is slowly releasing to their platform.
Films like Charade (the new Blu-ray is set to be released from Criterion this Sepember) have found a home on the website (as well as Netflix Watch Instantly), and now it appears as though the group have outdone themselves. Thanks to Hulu, Akira Kurosawa’s legendary film, Ran, which has gone out of print through Criterion, and recently re-released on Blu-ray through Studio Canal and Lionsgate, is now available to watch for free on the website.
Like most of Kurosawa’s canon, Ran is an absolute masterpiece that is Kurosawa’s take on the tale of King Lear. It follows three sons who must not only find peace in a world torn apart by war, but one brother must also deal with the betrayal of his two corrupt siblings. It’s a masterful story that combines two things, Kurosawa and Shakespearean drama that sadly didn’t have more time together. Like films like High and Low and Kagemusha, the film seems to get lost in the talk of films like Seven Samurai and Rashomon, but is to this day one of the auteurs most powerful works.
Source: Hulu
Check out other Criterion films available on Hulu.
Check out the official Criterion Collection channel on Hulu.
Joshua Brunsting
Born in Saugatuck, Michigan, Josh Brunsting has been a fan and lover of the medium that we call film since day one. Holding a degree in Journalism from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI, Josh has now turned his love of any and everything related to film into what will hopefully one day become a career, culminating in complete world domination. Josh is currently a writer for GeeksOfDoom.com, and even has time to plan his wedding, have a job at a local Starbucks, and take care of a golden retriever named O’Malley.