Ran, Kurosawa's last great epic, is a Jidaigeki (Japanese period drama) depicting the fall of Hidetora Ichimonj, an ageing Sengoku-era warlord who abdicates as ruler in favor of his three sons. His kingdom slowly disintegrates as the sons struggle for power, murdering rivals and laying waste to the land, and Hidetora goes insane after watching his retainers slaughtered in an epic massacre, the centrepiece of the film. As the kingdom crumbles and rival warlords move in for the kill, the Ichimonji find out more...

The BBC's exhaustive and typically exemplary adaptations of some of the great bard's best known plays and a number of his lesser known works. All filmed between the late 1970s and early 1980s and performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. find out more...

The original script brought to life in the 1930s with a cast of thousands and the best of action cinema and photography. Richard is truly malevolent and lethal, let loose in a fascist Britain with machine guns and tanks to further his plans for domination. Brilliantly performed, chilling, thrilling edge of the seat stuff. find out more...

Richard's military skills have helped to put his older brother Edward on the throne of England, but jealousy and resentment cause Richard to seek the crown for himself, and he conceives a lengthy and carefully calculated plan using deception, manipulation, and outright murder to achieve his goal. His plotting soon has tumultuous consequences, both for himself and for England. find out more...

A stunningly sumptuous adaption of Shakespeare's's play sees the revered general Titus Andronicus at odds with his corrupt new emperor and in particular the queen, a former Goth prisoner of Titus, and a woman driven by the desire for revenge. A powerful, full blooded interpretation, with an impressive cast, boldly imagined and brimming with passion, this is a striking addition to the Shakespeare filmography. find out more...

One of the BBC's exhaustive and typically exemplary adaptations of some of the great bard's best known plays and also a number of his lesser known works. All filmed between the late 1970s and early 1980s and performed by pretty much the cream of British theatre. Based round incidents in the Trojan War. find out more...