Throne of Blood

1957- Epic

Japan-Akira Kurosawa

I've been a fan of his work since high school. I think his best work to date was 'Ran'. I love his style of directing, and can only imagine how much Kurosawa influenced Japanese Cinema with his East meets West style. Like so many of his films Kurosawa has taken another Shakespeare work and adapted it to the Japanese audience. Nothing new for our era of remakes and copies of old films, but back then it was something that can make or break your career.

Synopsis:

A transposition of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' to medieval Japan. After a great military victory, Lords Washizu and Miki are lost in the dense Cobweb Forest, where they meet a mysterious old woman who predicts great things for Washizu and even greater things for Miki's descendants. Once out of the forest, Washizu and Miki are immediately promoted by the Emperor. Washizu, encouraged by his ambitious wife, plots to make even more of the prophecy come true, even if it means killing the Emperor.

All-in-All:

This film was fun to watch and it was fast paced (as fast pace as a Shakespeare tale gets). I enjoyed the similarities of both cultures, and is a testament of Shakespeare's skill of a writer having a tale that can cross oceans and cultures. This was a treat for me as a fan of both director and writer, but some things were amiss. The acting was 2 dimensional and forced, the music was often times none existent, and the story itself felt shallow (I'll bet to fit the time restraints). But then again I'm just grasping at straws here.

Riko's Rating: B+