Chris Marker's elliptical, oblique documentary on the making of Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" is an uneasy blend of hagiography (usual Cahiers du Cinema stuff) and Marker's trademark meditations on the mediating role of technology in memory and the human experience, plus probably aging, and etc., etc., etc. These Gallicisms seem out-of-place; but the philosophies are easily discarded. What makes the film a pleasure are the glimpses we see of Kurosawa's work processes, in addition to all the detail and work that goes into the making of a true epic.
本美术片是系列木偶剧《阿凡提的故事》的第四集。愚蠢的国王梦见自己被百姓嘲笑,醒后为证明自己是世界上最聪明的人,出了三道难题,并下诏书说能全部答对者,将得重赏,财主、贵族等挤破头要去答题,结果自诩为最有智慧的两个人被国王轰出了皇宫,没人敢再前去作答。国王又下令,每个城市和每个村庄都要派一名代表去答题,答不出者当场斩头,百姓恐慌。阿凡提代表百姓前去答题,以自己的智慧让国王无奈地点了头。然而国王并不甘心败给阿凡提,他又和大臣们商议出了诡异,但他没想到的是,阿凡提成了他的噩梦。