- Release year: 1957
- Director: Akira Kurosawa.
- Producers: Akira Kurosawa and Sôjirô Motoki.
- Screenplay by: Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryûzô Kikushima, and Akira Kurosawa.
- Cinematography by: Asakazu Nakai.
- Music by: Masaru Satô.
Synopsis: a samurai is tempted to take over his lord’s land after hearing a prophecy from a spirit and his wife’s advice.
Shotgun Commentary: Macbeth, but make it samurai.
Review
Throne of Blood is the first of the three Kurosawa adaptations of a Shakespearian play. Taking place before The Bad Sleep Well (1960) and Ran (1985). This first adaptation is based on Macbeth, a tale of obsession, deception and murder. BFI has released a Blu-ray and a UHD restoration, which you can now find in their shop. More details at the end of the review.
The plan and the planner
In this feature, samurai Taketoki Washizu (Toshirō Mifune) is coming to the castle from a victory in battle along with his best friend Yoshiaki Miki (Minoru Chiaki), also a samurai, when they encounter a demon. Said demon tells them that, in the future, Washizu is to be the new lord of the land, followed by Miki’s son. At first, they laugh it off, but when some of the details in the prophecy begin to happen in real life, they start questioning everything.
The story follows mainly Washizu, who is torn between his samurai principles and his ambition. His wife, Lady Asahi Washizu (Isuzu Yamada), tips the scale towards his ambition with her constant malicious whispering and plotting, using his pride and suspicions to turn him against his lord and his friend. Lady Washizu is particularly interesting for two reasons. One, she is the only relevant female character in the story. And two, she is the strongest and smartest of them all by far, which contrasts greatly with her position in society.
Sure, a woman of her standing is no peasant, but she is pretty much condemned to a life of silent servitude due to her gender. A life she makes the most of by discreetly using her husband like a puppet. It is not the first time a strong female character was featured in a film or show in Feudal Japan, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last (a great modern example would be Shōgun, 2024). However, Lady Washizu has retained all her appeal as a complex and morally grey character throughout the decades. In part thanks to Shakespeare’s writing of Lady Macbeth, but also due to Yamada’s haunting performance of Kurosawa’s vision.
The highlights
There is a huge influence of noh (also known as nō) theatre, in this piece. The movements of the actors are similar to those of the noh performers. Not to mention that, thanks to this art form, the movements of the characters tell their own unique tale. Also taken from this traditional art, are the expressions of the characters, especially those of the Washizu couple. Both Yamada and Mifune adapt their expressions to resemble that of noh masks, a fascinating detail that is further discussed in the special features of BFI’s release.
Naturally, Kurosawa turned to one of his go-to actors to protagonise this feature: Toshirō Mifune. Before this film, Mifune had already worked with Kurosawa in films like Stray Dog (1949) and Seven Samurai (1954). However, his character, Taketoki Washizu, is completely different from other samurai roles he’s played for the director before or since (Yojimbo comes to mind).
On top of serving as the perfect blueprint for Boromir’s demise (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001), Washizu has that Shakespearean quality about him. Drama queen, might be a big too strong of a term, but not totally inaccurate. Additionally, the actor pushed his luck on this role by performing dangerous stunts, on top of delivering a wonderful performance.
All in all, Throne of Blood is a masterpiece that combines a British theatrical masterpiece with Japanese culture and history. The final product blends both concepts seamlessly, as one would expect from a filmmaker as talented as Kurosawa. Additionally, from a technical point of view, every detail is a delight, making this film perfect for pretty much all audiences. If you like well-made films, this is an absolute must-watch.
BFI’s release of Throne of Blood can be ordered now on their website. Details and links below!
Special features
- Restored 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Introduction by Sir Ian McKellen (2016, 2 mins)
- Introduction to Throne of Blood by Mamoun Hassan (2012, 7 mins): the late writer, director and producer introduces a screening of Akira Kurosawa’s film at BFI Southbank
- Audio commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
- Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Throne of Blood (2002, 23 mins). This documentary about the making of Throne of Blood features interviews with Akira Kurosawa, production designer Yoshiro Muraki, Noh performer Mitsuhiro Honda (from the Konparu School) and actor Isuzu Yamada
- Macbeth (1945, 16 mins): two scenes from Shakespeare’s famous Scottish tragedy. With Wilfrid Lawson and Cathleen Nesbitt as a fine murderous duo
- Original trailer
- ***FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with writing on the film by Alex Barrett. An essay on Kurosawa’s adaptations of Shakespeare by Ben Nicholson, Kurosawa on Throne of Blood (1964) and an original review
Product details
UHD: RRP: £27.99 / Cat. no. BFIU0015 / 12
Japan / 1957 / black and white / 110 minutes / Japanese language with optional English subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.37:1 // UHD66: 2160p, 23.98fps, DTS-HD MA 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit)
Blu-ray: RRP: £19.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1541 / 12
Japan / 1957 / black and white / 110 minutes / Japanese language with optional English subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.37:1 // BD50: 1080p, 23.98fps, DTS-HD MA 1.0 mono audio (48kHz/24-bit)
Where to buy
All BFI UHD and Blu-ray releases are available in person from the BFI Shop at BFI Southbank.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Don’t pay much attention to prophecies.
- Anything can come true if you plot to make it so.
- Never underestimate an ambitious woman.
What’s your take? Have you watched Throne of Blood? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀