Throne of Blood Movie Review 1957

Kurosawa's masterful adaptation of "Macbeth" transports the story to medieval Japan and the world of the samurai. Mifune and Chiaki are warriors who have put down a rebellion and are to be rewarded by their overlord. On their way to his castle they meet a mysterious old woman who prophesizes that Mifune will soon rule--but his reign will be short. She is dismissed as crazy but her prophesies come to pass. So steeped in Japanese style that it bears little resemblance to the Shakespearean original, this film is an incredibly detailed vision in its own right. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Distribution

International Historic Films, Inc., PO Box 5796, Chicago, IL 60680, Phone: (773)927-2900, Fax: (773)927-9211, Email: info@ihffilm.com, URL: http://www.IHFfilm.com, Remarks: Some programs available in PAL & SECAM.

Available on VHS
Running time 105 minutes.
Originally from Japanese.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Samurai, Medieval Romps, Adapted from a Play, Tragedy, Royalty, Modern Shakespeare, Director/Star Teams: Kurosawa & Mifune, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Hideo Oguni, Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa

Cast

Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Akira Kubo

Cinematography

Asakazu Nakai

Director

Akira Kurosawa

Music

Masaru Sato

Producer

Toho Films