Rating: 
Summary: I can't beleive this is considered a classic
Review: I loved Ran, 7 samurai and Yojimbo. When this movie appeared on my local video store shelf I had to rent it. It is possible for great directors and actors to do a bad film. And this is theirs. The idea for this film seems to be, let's see how drawn out and dull we can make each scene. It was like watching the running part of forest gump. It just went on and on and on. So many of the scenes could end, but they just keep going beyond any rational point. The acting is so over the top. The lines fake and the whole thing a joke. How it is considered serious is beyond me. The final death scene is the biggest laugh I have had in ages. The samurai has arrows sticking out everywhere. INCLUDING ONE THROUGH HIS NECK. Yet on he goes. Staggering to the left. Staggering to the right. And for the most part yelling screaming and giving his final death speech. Other samurai running away from him in fear. What a laugh. The samurai's wife did give an excellent preformance as the scheming power hungry wife. A predecessor to the wife in Ran perhaps. Give it a watch. But don't go into this one thinking it is going to be be fantastic just because of the people who are involved with it.
Rating: 
Summary: One Of Kurosawa's Best Films
Review: I am a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa. I have watched as many of his movies as I could find. Seven Samurai was the first film I saw by him and I still think it is his best. It's hard to say, but Throne of Blood might be my second favorite. Their are a few other movies that challenge it, such as Yojimbo, but I think that it might be Throne of Blood. First of all, Throne of Blood is mostly based on Shakespeare's Macbeth. It turns out to be one of the best adaptations of Shakespeare's work to film. Kurosawa, however, did not just copy the story word for word. He hads some really brilliant concepts to the story and changes some of the scenes to fir the story seamlessly. Toshiro Mifune gives one of his best performances. Overall, Throne Of Blood is a very impressive movie that is both artistic and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Ooops (Again!)
Review: I think I need to pay more attention to these reviews when I write them! I goofed on my review of Shadowland (feel free to check it out), and now I've screwed up here! Arrgh! In my review, I made a reference to Tatsuya Nakadai, an actor who's appeared in other Kurosawa films, being in Throne of Blood. Well, he wasn't, and a quick check of the videocassette would have proved that. The actor I meant to name was Takashi Shimura, not Nakadai. Don't see how I could possibly confuse the two -- except to say that I'm not the best with names (gee, ya think?) and I just wasn't paying attention that day. Once again, I apologize for my dishonorable inattention to detail.
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare Noh-Style
Review: Throne of Blood, like most of the other films Kurosawa turned his hand to at this point in his career, is a brilliant film. Some reviewers on this page have called it slow and plodding, or overdramatic, but I don't see it that way. If you take this film on a literal level, i.e. thinking of it only as a film, then you're missing out. Kurosawa, as usual, is thinking in different terms here, and has not made a cinematic movie as much as a theatrical one. This film almost bleeds with theatrical ideas and themes -- after all, it is an adaptation of Shakespeare's MacBeth. But to see it as just that, as I said, misses the point, because Throne of Blood is more than Shakespeare; it is Shakespeare filtered through Noh theatre. In Noh plays, the acting is extremely stylized and deliberate (what modern cinemagoers might see as slow, or plodding, or even overwrought), and the plays are largely symbolic in nature. Kurosawa has taken that idea and brilliantly melded it to one of Shakespeare's darkest plays, a tragedy that warns against the dangers of ambition. And clearly Kurosawa has studied theatre in preparing for this film; the opening scene, which has a voice-over which echoes Noh, Greek, and Elizabethan Theatre, is a perfect illustration of what I mean. Then there is Kurosawa's minimal use of music in the film; the silence one experiences is very much like being in a theater watching a play, rather than seeing a movie. Of course I've already mentioned the stylized, extremely Noh-influenced performances of the lead actors...and then there's this little idea: take a look at some of Kurosawa's settings, especially the meeting with the witch in the Cobweb Forest. It has the feeling of a stage setting, right? You can almost see the proscenium. Of course, as in Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Rashomon, Seven Samurai and so many others, what lifts this film from great to classic is the tremendous performance of Toshiro Mifune. The man simply explodes with intensity, even when he's not moving or speaking; he commands the attention in much the same way that a great work of art does. His supporting cast, notably Tatsuya Nakadai, are equally good, and all have obviously studied the Noh tradition. In short, Throne of Blood is a love letter to theatre and theatre-goers. Kurosawa, who would later return to Shakespeare with Ran (his version of King Lear), triumphed with this film in a way almost completely unlike his others, for while Yojimbo or Seven Samurai may be perfect cinematically, Throne of Blood is one of the best theatrical experiences I've ever had.
Rating: 
Summary: Throne of Dud
Review: I'd rather donate blood than ever see Throne of Blood again! It is possible to like Shakespeare's Macbeth and still abhor Akira Kurosawa's interpretation, Throne of Blood. After all, when one isn't at all impressed with the acting, how much can a movie really be enjoyed? On the part of many of the characters, I felt that the gestures, movements and expressions were over-emphasized and overly-dramatic, especially Washiku's acting. For example, when he sees a ghost while in the company of others, he runs around the room in an attempt to come across as terrified, and all I saw was a man acting. Another example is a situation where four men are talking about rats fleeing. One man's gestures are so over exaggerated that it seems as if one is watching a high school production! The acting really has to be believable and convincing to positively affect an audience, which was not the effect of this movie. The scenes where men were running seemed so silly, as they appeared physically challenged! For a movie to follow a storyline, such as Macbeth, one needs to believe that the circumstances that create the plot must be believable, even with the inclusion of supernatural forces. This movie did not enhance the believability of the story. The acting alone can ruin the possibility of enjoying this movie, but there are other aspects that contribute to my dislike of Kurosawa's film. The sound effects, or "music", (if it even deserves to be called that) was awful in the way that it was rarely used to reinforce the goings-on in a scene, but rather told the story in the scene. Personally, it was much more annoying and displeasing to the ear than was probably intended. If you like the sounds of screeching, pounding and monotone monologue-type singing, than perhaps this movie is for you! The silence during scenes seemed ridiculously and unnecessarily long, especially watching two men gallop through the forest for as long as was shown. Perhaps the newer style of editing was being shown off, and I admit that I liked the lengthy breaks from reading the subtitles. Also in regard to the editing, perhaps some of the characters mannerisms would not have come across as overdone if there had not been such "close" close-ups. The point can get across to the audience that Tsuzuki is fearful without being six inches away from his face, which I believe contributed to the overly-dramatic aspect of this movie. It is not that I do not find silences meaningful, it was just that one gets the 'let's move it along' feeling. The various settings and decor were rather boring and full of empty space which could perhaps be contributed in part to seeing it in black and white. Throne of Blood was not devoid of good aspects, despite my dislike of the film. Whoever cast the roles did a great job of not casting a single remotely attractive person, perhaps to keep us from getting distracted by a nice-looking character, which may take away some of the impact of the story. The story did closely mirror the story of Macbeth, which made it easy to follow. If you want to watch the story of Macbeth, stick with Shakespeare's version!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: "Throne Of Blood" just goes to show how universal Shakespeare is. I must warn you though if you're viewing "Macbeth" then you shouldn't see this one first. Most of the "Macbeth" plot is here but not Shakespeare's actual dialogue. Kurosawa of course does an amazing job with translating it to the screen. "Throne Of Blood" is much slower than most Kurosawa films and almost like you're watching Noh Japanese theater. Some of the most beautiful shots are in the forest and fog...Kurosawa has an eye for the best shots and can capture the characters indulging in their new state of mind which is one of the most import parts of a production of "Macbeth". Toshiro Mifune is mature in "Throne Of Blood" and shows that he can play more than a thug in other Kurosawa films. Minoru Chiaki does a silent but deadly wicked performance. The song in the beginning and the end of the film put a great touch to the film. We get the message that Kurosawa is potraiting that man is vain and indulges in greed. Over all this film is amazing but "Ran" is still Kurosawa's masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Watch Him Go Mad!
Review: The movie is beautiful to look at, but it is a tad slow. Highlights of the movie are a horrifying, creepy old woman that tells Mifune's fortune, and the fantastic end when arrows fly all over creation. And the last arrow! Ouch! Oh, and watch Mifune's eyes when he loses his mind at the ceremonial supper. Great stuff!
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Summary: Throne of Blood: The Japanese MacBeth
Review: The very best I've seen. Shakespeare's MacBeth has been my favorite classic tragedy since I first encountered it at nine years old when my father brought home records of Shakespearian plays to use in teaching his high school English literature class. It had everything: ghosts, witches, spookie atmosphere, villians and heroes. Since that time I've seen the play performed many times, but this is my favorite cinematic presentation. Unlike the Welles version, which seems to be considered such a classic but which is so dark it's almost opaque, this film creates the brooding emotional environment with the eye of a painter or better yet that of a brilliant black and white photographer. It is a cinematic visual masterwork. The Japanese setting and historic period seem entirely appropriate; Shakespeare himself would have approved. The approaching doom and ultimate death of the fallen MacBeth is not to be forgotten.
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Summary: How do you spell irony?
Review: I was struck by the previous review, which disses "Throne of Blood" as merely an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and thus unoriginal and predictable, yet goes on to recommend "Ran" -- which of course is an adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear." The art is in the telling of the tale, not its skeletal plot. Shakespeare himself took the plots for his plays from other sources. Kurosawa knew how to tell a tale.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone loves this film, but I beg to differ...
Review: Okay, this is a Kurosawa epic, so the rave reviews are always going to come flying in. Well, I am a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa, and I have to say that this is probably one of his least creative works. It is just Macbeth in a different setting, which of course Shakespeare afficionados are going to appreciate, but the story isn't original and is therefore very predictable. The pacing is plodding, even by Kurosawa standards; I found myself bored out of my gourd during scenes that were supposed to inspire tension or dread. Nakadai overacts as usual...sometimes like in Kagemusha he can be good but often his mugging for the camera is painful to watch. The ending is excellent, at least a twist that sets it apart from Macbeth, but in my opinion it just isn't enough to make up for the drudgery of the rest of the work. If you want good Kurosawa, get Ran, Ikiru, Seven Samurai or Yojimbo...don't waste your time on this.
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