Review of Throne of Blood (1957) by Ricardo O — 14 Aug 2012

Throne Of Blood (Kumonosu-Jô) is legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's masterful adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy Macbeth. He transfers Shakespeare's tale from Scotland to historical Japan. Kurosawa regular Toshirô Mifune stars as Taketoki Washizu, the equivalent to the Scottish lord Macbeth, a warrior who, along with his friend and fellow warrior Yoshaki Miki (Minoru Chiaki), find themselves lost in a dense forest during a powerful thunderstorm. Unable to get out of the woods they encounter a ghostly old woman predicting that Washizu will soon rise to great power and that Miki's son will become the Lord of the castle as well as spawning generations of heirs. At the urge of his ruthless wife Asaji (the equivalent of Lady Macbeth), played hauntingly by Isuzu Yamada, Washizu embarks on a murderously ambitious path and quickly fulfills the prophecy. However, his ascension is cursed by his brutal actions and soon opposition arises to challenge his blood-stained rule and bring about his inevitable downfall.

One of the finest Shakespeare adaptations in cinematic history, Kurosawa seamlessly brings the story to a historically accurate Japan setting with an incredible visual style. Kurosawa simplifies the original story by getting rid of minor characters and Shakespeare's famous soliloquies. Isuzu Yamada gives a creepily unemotional take on Lady Macbeth and arguably the best take on the character even if the character isn't in the film as much as other adaptations. Toshirô Mifune shows a plentitude of intensity in his performance giving one of the best he ever gave. The cinematography, editing and costume designs like all of Kurosawa's other films are all fantastic. This is not only one of the best adaptations of a Shakespeare play but also one of Kurosawa's most enduring films. It is essential viewing for any movie fan and anyone who enjoys the literary works of Shakespeare. The climax is one of the great moments in the history of cinema. 10/10.