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Summary: Akira Kurosawa's Japanese version of Macbeth
Review: I'm a student from Nagoya International School and have just seen the movie "Throne of Blood" in our unit in Shakespeare's Macbeth. By watching the movie, I saw how Kurosawa has adapted Shakespeare's Macbeth to a setting in the Japanese feudal time period. As a person who reads and speaks Japanese, I felt the Japanese title "Kumonosu jou", meaning Spider-web castle had a strong impact on the film. One of the most interesting characters in both Throne of Blood and Macbeth was the witch. The witch took a big part in the story where he/she tells Macbeth his destiny. This drives Macbeth to his tragic end. In the original version of Macbeth, there were 3 witches telling Macbeth his future which motivated Macbeth to his murders. But in Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, when Washizu was lost in the woods, he meets an old man spinning a wheel and making thread. By seeing that, I thought Kurosawa recognized that the witches controlled the story in the original version of Macbeth. So the old man spinning symbolized that the witch had everything in control. I think that is another reason that Kurosawa named his film Spider-web Castle, with the idea of spider-web suggesting the witch was in control of everything. I recommend this film to students who have read Macbeth and studied the play carefully, as they will be are able to compare this film to the original version of the play and enjoy the differences between the two.
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Summary: Kurosawa contained Bushidou spirit in " Throne of Blood"
Review: My name is Tetsuya Iwase and I'm a student in Nagoya International School. I just studied Macbeth and watched Kurosawa's "Throne of blood".The director of the "Throne of Blood" Akira Kurosawa showed similar perspectives that William Shakespeare showed in his play Macbeth. The rich language use of Shakespeare was not lost when the play was translated into Japanese language. Kurosawa created a harmony of rich Shakespearean language and Japanese. Kurosawa successfully expressed the theme and motifs that were originally in the Shakespeare's Macbeth. This was probably because of the Bushidou spirit that every Japanese have. Going back into Japanese history, the politician called Nitobe Inazou wrote a book called Bushidou which has an idea of samurai spirit of Japan which tell the loyalty, faithfulness and strong feeling about justice. This book was written to prove to the west that at that time Japan had similar aspects as western countries toward these attributes. In the film, there was strong feeling of justice by Inui against Washizu after he had murdered Ootono to get the throne. It was the same in Macbeth too with Malcolm and Banquo towards Macbeth after his murder of Duncan in order to take the throne. I would definitely recommend this movie and I would recommend to read Macbeth first and to watch. It will probably be easier to understand the movie after reading the novel rather then before.
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Summary: BUY THIS NOW! DON'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS!
Review: THIS JAPANESE VERSION OF MACBETH IS WEIRD AT TIMES, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST INTERNATIONAL MOVIES OF ALL TIME. THIS MOVIE TELLS A WARRIOR'S RISE TO POWER AND HOW HE VIOLENTLY LOST IT. ONCE YOU START LOOKING AT THIS MOVIE, IT BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP WATCHING. TOSHIRO MIFUNE PUTS ON A CLASSIC PERFORMANCE AS WASHIZU. THE FINALE IS VERY THRILLING. THIS IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN MUCH OF THE AMERICAN FILM VERSIONS OF ''MACBETH''. AN INTERESTING PLOT AND INTENSELY GOOD PERFORMANCES MAKE THIS A 5 STAR CLASSIC. FIND A COPY OF THIS MOVIE AND BUY IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN! IN JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS MOVIE HAS AN ENGLISH DUBBED VERSION.
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Summary: A Kurosawa Classic
Review: A great deal has been made of the fact that THRONE OF BLOOD (also known as SPIDER'S WEB CASTLE) is drawn from one of Shakespeare's most celebrated plays. This is both a blessing and a curse, for while it gives western audiences a point of reference, it also invites all sorts of comparisons that viewers familiar with the Shakespeare play feel honor-bound to make--and that can get in the way of seeing the film as it is rather than what we expect it to be. And that would be a great pity, because what it is in and of itself is quite fine indeed. The cast is a very strong ensemble, with frequent Kurosawa star Torshiro Mifune leading the film with a remarkably fine performance as the ambitious warrior Taketori Washizu. To my mind, however, the most memorable performance is offered by Isuzu Yamada as Lady Washizu--who plays the role with a demonic stillness that cracks into physical action only when she is completely sure of herself or in utter desperation. It is one of the most disturbing characterizations I have ever encountered. As usual in any Kurosawa film, the imagery involved is extremely powerful, and the moody tone of the film quickly draws viewers in--and once ensnared there is no escape; the film holds your attention with considerable ease throughout. Even so, I would not recommend THRONE OF BLOOD to western audiences who have never seen a Kurosawa film, for it is so completely Japanese in aesthetic that some may find it hard to grasp. It is best seen after you are already familiar with both Kurosawa's work and Japanese cinema in general. The Criterion DVD is quite good, with a nicely restored transfer and bonus features that include the original trailer, a choice of subtitle translations (I prefer the Hoagland translation), and a somewhat awkward but ultimately rewarding commentary track by Michael Jeck. If you're a Kurosawa fan and you've never seen THRONE OF BLOOD, this is your opportunity; if you're looking to replace an existing video with a DVD, this one is likely as good as it gets. Strongly recommended. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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Summary: Invoking the essence of Macbeth
Review: Of all Shakespeare's great tragedies, Macbeth is the play that people find the most troubling. It is the one work in Shakespeare's canon that comes closest to Greek tragedy with its outward inevitability and its conclusions seemingly predestined by the fates. We are also asked to identify with a murderer--an intelligent intriguing complex murderer to be sure--but still a murderer. This creates within us a moral tension not present in more clear-cut tragic figures like Hamlet and Lear, and this only leads to a greater incentive to excuse Macbeth as a victim of fate. It is easier to identify with a murderer who has no choice in his actions since his lack of choice absolves us of the guilt we might otherwise feel for sympathizing with him. Kurosawa leaves us no such outlet. His Macbeth is an unrepentant schemer, opportunist and murderer. That he feels passing pangs of conscience is due to the remnants of his humanity, remnants that by the end have been totally subsumed by his overarching ambition. This is a subtly different presentation from the angst ridden second guessing Macbeths so often portrayed in western productions, and when Kurosawa's Macbeth meets his death, we are struck not so much by the waste of a potentially good man as we are by how completely he is destroyed through the workings of divine justice. I am not going out of my way to be bookish here. This analysis is meant to show how well Kurosawa understands the moral message conveyed by the play as he constructs a Macbeth who, in spite of the ghastliness of his character, both fascinates us and draws our admiration. It is easy to admire obvious heroes and just as easy to condemn obvious villains and Hollywood has made a fortune from grinding away at this formulaic mill over the years. However, we are cast into contrary waters when we find ourselves admiring sympathetic villains and condemning failed heroes. Such characters are too much like our secret selves and their presence forces us into uncomfortable self-examination. This is Kurosawa's purpose: he is forcing each of us to ask how much like Macbeth we really are. How much blood would we spill for our own chance at a throne? And Kurosawa does this under an all but impossible handicap. He cannot use Shakespeare's glorious language, so in its stead, he substitutes his genius in the filmmaker's craft: mood, lighting, shading, contrast; and most of all, imagery, both the shrewd and the shocking, like the famous closing scene in which justice is delivered with altogether gruesome finality. Nor does it hurt that he has access to one of the finest actors in cinema. Toshiro Mifune puts in an inspired performance as an unswervingly driven Macbeth. This film and 'Ran', Kurosawa's later Shakespearean adaptation, are both bittersweet experiences. Kurosawa never had the chance to direct a production in the Bard's native tongue. He lived and filmed in a time when it was unthinkable for a major western production to be given into the hands of a Japanese director, so although we have had many notable interpretations of Shakespeare from many notable directors over the years, the now lost prospect of a definitive version from one of the best directors in history can only evoke regret. This film is unusual in that it may appeal even to people who do not like Shakespeare. In sacrificing the language for his Japanese audience, Kurosawa is forced to compensate with his theatrical ingenuity, and this has the ironic effect of making his version more accessible to those who have always been put off Shakespeare because of the demands of the language. Against this, the acting is comprised of bold gestures and pregnant pauses, a style that may strike some as stilted and affected, but which actually comes from traditional Japanese Noh theatre and which grows on you and becomes more natural as the film progresses. This is not a film for mass audiences, but if you like intelligent atypical challenging fare and are not afraid of subtitles, then this surprisingly original adaptation will make you think as well as enthral and entertain you.
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Summary: Kuroshakespeare
Review: A good example, along with Kurosawa's "Ran", of the continuing universality of Shakespeare. You can stick him in feudal Japan, you can take the dialogue out, you can do whatever you like, but in the end, you're still left with Shakespeare. Kurosawa knew this only too well--that there was more than enough room for his own sensibility, that he could not distort Shakespeare, but that Shakespeare could expand his cinematic art. "Throne of Blood" may be one of the most colorful black-and-white movies ever made, if that makes any sense. Kurosawa was a genius with the camera. There is always something wonderful to look at in every scene of every one of his movies. His attention to light, shadow, and most importantly, movement, puts him at the highest level of directors. His storytelling skill is just as strong as his technical skill. He is one of the very few directors--Hitchcock, Kubrick, Bunuel and maybe one or two others--who embodies all of the great characteristics of filmmaking. Directors who can be imitated but not duplicated, and certainly not surpassed. The new Criterion edition of this movie is definitive--as beautiful a print as I can imagine.
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Summary: Kurosawa's "Macbeth" Does Shakespeare Justice
Review: "Throne of Blood", aka "Castle of the Spider's Web", is the third Kurosawa film that I've seen, and it's definitely different from the other two ("The Seven Samurai" and "The Hidden Fortress"). It's much more somber and introspective, less action-oriented, and the general theme centers on ambition and fate rather than cooperative action to overcome a common problem. The film is an adaptation of "Macbeth"; only instead of taking place in medieval Scotland, it's set in feudal Japan. I tend to be a Shakespeare purist, but I really enjoyed the different historical setting. Warlords, samurai and huge, squat fortresses are depicted in full glory. The samurai costumes are so beautiful and intricately detailed that I had to pause the film just to stare at them. In addition, the dialogue and acting have been altered to fit a Japanese setting. Many of the scenes are shot in the Noh style, which is a very old, very classical form of Japanese theater. In Noh, the drama plays out on bare stages. In order to compensate for such sparse environments, the acting tends to be highly stylized. To Western audiences, this may translate as unrealistic, but to Eastern, I presume it comes off as compelling. Toshiro Mifune plays the title character, Washizu, who receives predictions of power and glory from a forest spirit. Spurred on by his ambitious, scheming wife, Washizu commits heinous acts in order to fulfill the prophecy. The effect is like a tightening noose as Washizu becomes ensnared in his own web of ambition. The final scene is a cinema classic. Never one to go for cheap effects, Kurosawa uses professional archers and real arrows, and Mifune's reaction is genuine. The scene visualizes the claustrophobic mood of the film and the idea of inescapable fate. Kurosawa was a master of this type of filmmaking. I'm always impressed by how much Kurosawa accomplishes with so little. Take the forest spirit, for example. He simply shot her in blinding white light and removed all high notes from her voice. It's effectively creepy, yet it's something filmmakers today, with their multimillion-dollar CGI effects, would not even attempt. It's for these moments of filmmaking ingenuity, which "Throne of Blood" abounds in, that Kurosawa has become so well respected.
"Throne of Blood", despite a few slow parts and some overacting, is a gripping, haunting and worthwhile journey. It's also great filmmaking. I wouldn't recommend it to Kurosawa neophytes, but once you're hooked on the master of Japanese cinema, it's definitely one to seek out. If you're looking to purchase, the Criterion DVD is well worth the price; the film looks great and the commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck is entertaining and informative.
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Summary: It's no Seven Samurai, but it will do.
Review: Anyone who is a fan of Shakespeare or Kurosawa's samurai tales should check this one out. It's an adaption of Hamlet, set in 16th century Japan. It has all the same elements that Hamlet had, just in a samurai setting. Toshiro Mifune is great as the Hamlet character, Taketoki Washizu, who starts as a loyal servant of King Kuniharu Tsuzuki, played by Takamuru Sazaki. Many of the same actors who were in The Seven Samurai were also in this movie, such as Mifune, Takashi Shimura, and Minoru Chiaki. Yet the movie isn't as great as Seven Samurai. It's still quite good, with Mifune in an excellent role. The movie has a very eerie feel, especially when Washizu sees the witch 2 times. Also, the music is quite evil sounding too, what with that squeaking whistle. Anyway, it's another great movie by Kurosawa. Worth watching.
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Summary: Kurosawa...well
Review: Strangely, most of the movies by Kurosawa just didn't click with me. Only exception is Yojimbo. I was disappointed with Seven Samurai too. I like his style of exploring chracters and conflict but Throne of blood was just OK.
As a movie lover, I prefer B/W. Often I think B/W is more expressive but in case of Kurosawa, it just make movie dated. Not well balanced. Also, I feel his directing is kind of clumsy, pace-wise. Please do not throw a stone to me.
Also, I didn't like Mifune's acting too. From the beginning to the end, only one expression on his face. Widely opened eyes. last scene was the only scene I enjoyed. How could they do that? Check Yojimbo. Mifune is cool, too! And is there any real battle scene really? I haven't seen one...
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Summary: Kurosawa's horror show
Review: "Throne of Blood," loosely based on "Macbeth," is widely regarded as one of the most successful film adaptations of a Bard play. The 1957 film is full of fog, wind, rain and lightning -- sound and fury indeed -- reflecting the descent into madness of the film's Macbeth, Lord Washizu (Toshiro Mifune). It was the closest Kurosawa came to a horror film. A match for Mifune is the veteran actress Isuzu Yamada, arguably the most chilling Lady Macbeth of them all. The black-and-white "Throne of Blood" retains some speckling and a few jumpy transitions, but looks considerably better than previous versions. The high-definition transfer comes from a fine-grain positive. The film comes in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Considerable work was done on the mono audio as well, benefiting its haunting score. In a wildly unorthodox piece of packaging, the "Throne of Blood" DVD offers two separate sets of subtitles, both dramatically different in tone and translation. The authors explain their philosophies in the DVD's handsome booklet. The academic approach continues in the commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck, recorded last fall. Jeck's voice sounds like a cross between Casey Kasem's and Mr. Roger's, taking quite a while to get used to, but it's well worth the effort.
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