Forty years ago, a clerical error and bad blood cost Akira Kurosawa an Oscar.

The legendary Japanese filmmaker's Ran proved the final samurai masterpiece of his distinguished career. His third Shakespeare adaptation, the film is epic in every sense of the word — massive in scale, shot in glorious color, with vicious betrayal and intense action and emotion. At the time of its release in 1985, Kurosawa was certainly well-regarded by the Motion Picture Academy, receiving an Honorary Award for Outstanding Foreign-Language Film for Rashomon, followed by Best Foreign-Language Film in 1976 for Dersu Uzala. The 58th Academy Awards found Ran competing for four awards, including Kurosawa’s only Best Director nod — despite not being submitted for Best Foreign-Language Film, a snub that was the produ

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