Filming Ran

Chris Marker's film about the shooting of Kurosawa's Ran. They are on location on the black, volcanic slopes of Mt Fuji. Fog and rain delay filming. Armies get dressed, tramp around, drink soup, get undressed, go home. Kurosawa sits at the centre of it all, a bulky little figure, apparently unflappable- the sensei. At one point he has his crew spray a field of pampas grass gold to emulate the effect of fine old lacquer-work. A bad move, too artful, the scene gets dropped from the final cut.

It seems impossible that anything worthwhile could ever emerge from all this futility. And yet- behold- the uncompromised glory that is Ran.