Got to see the 4K restoration of this film on the big screen, and I have to say it was definitely quite an experience. This is a beautifully shot film, just absolutely gorgeous with its colors and cinematography. It takes a bit to get going but once it picked up I was fully invested. Maybe it was just the nature of the film, but it felt a little bit slow in parts, I wasn't wholly bothered by that though.

I'm still attempting to fully reconcile my feelings on the film. It really is a wondrous achievement, a narrative with a large scope that manages to still feel quite intimate. I'm not familiar with the Shakespeare play King Lear that this is based off of, but the way the characters were constructed, their motivations displayed, and their arcs fulfilled was extremely satisfying. I found myself surprisingly connecting with some characters over time, along with the journey that they were embarking on. The battle sequences are also terrific, they're large and bombastic and just superbly constructed, with a great sense of composition and spatial awareness.

This is my first Kurosawa, so maybe I'm just not fully ingrained with his directorial style and aesthetic, as well as the pacing of his films. I can definitely recognize the greatness in this film, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm hoping a re-watch once I'm further into his filmography will bring even greater admiration on my part in the future.