Brilliantly acted and directed, the film features an intense atmosphere that elevates the story and is a stunning picture from start to finish. | Top Critics (14) |, June 9, 2010 Mikio and Washizu are the commanders of the 1st and 2nd Fortress under a local lord, who reigns in the Spiders' Web Castle. Throne of Blood takes liberties with the plot of Macbeth as well as the language. More an impression of Macbeth than an actual Macbeth>/i>. Read critic reviews. What comes around for Toshiro Mifune as he gets his just deserts is a scene with straight as an arrow, perfect direction by Kurosawa leading to quite a pointed culminatin of events (pun intended...see the movie you'll understand). Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. As a hardened warrior who rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune gives a remarkable, animalistic performance, as does Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Throne of Blood is a moody, intense, poetically shot movie that history will remember as one of the Japanese master’s best. and the Terms and Policies, Cast & Crew Show all . See more ideas about throne of blood, fantasy, fantasy story. From the Criterion Collection Spine Number 190. After securing a major victory on the battlefield, Taketoti Washizu and one of his commanders, Yoshiaki Miki, find themselves lost in the maze-like Spider's Web forest. I do not know if Kurosawa did this intentionally, but when she walks, the lower garments of her robe rubs against the floor with a kind of squeal-like wisp. As pressure mounts, Wahizu takes action leading to its inevitable conclusion. The plot revolves around betrayal, conspiracy, greed, … A seeming contradiction, dynamism and static-ness yet Kurosawa masters both in the same medium. All Critics (43) Men with passions stirred, riding around in the fog, lost - what a brilliant metaphor to life and human folly. Thriller. You cannot go wrong. On a more simpler level it is a man living and dying by the sword. When the current Great Lord makes a surprise visit to his garrison outpost, Washizu is again promoted to commander of his vanguard but his wife reminds him of the danger that comes with the position. No stage production could match Kurosawa's Birnam Wood, and, in his final framing of the hero -- a human hedgehog, stuck with arrows -- he conjures a tragedy not laden with grandeur but pierced, like a dream, by the absurd. However, any weaknesses that become noticeable are soon forgiven when Kurosawa's original and terrific ending scene comes into frame which was a major improvement over the disappointing climax from the play.So overall, Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" is again, not his best film, but certainly a very unique and entertaining one and a great vision of the Japanese perception of Shakespeare's classic. Akira Kurosawa's remarkable 1957 restaging of Macbeth in samurai and expressionist terms is unquestionably one of his finest works -- charged with energy, imagination, and, in keeping with the subject, sheer horror. I think the story is telling us yes, and that in a larger sense, people invariably bring trouble and ruin onto themselves through greed, instead of simply counting their blessings and enjoying their too-short lives. Was this review helpful to you? Throne of Blood isn't so much a character study as it is a representation of unease and disquiet within an almost apocalyptic wasteland. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Select Your Cookie Preferences. So many great ideas got jumbled and the author's inability to draw you in and make you care about the main character, Adira, was disappointing. Thrones of Blood is yet another finely crafted epic from a director who has mastered the genre, and after this film, I am surprised that Kurosawa has always kept making consistent films. Head to the Castle Treasury, where Hobson will once again be waiting. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Spurred by his wife and a witch's prediction, a samurai murders his lord to steal the throne. Throughout it all, there is a dreamy, nightmarish, epic feeling to the film. | Rating: 9/10 Like the universal downpour of rain and the harsh current of wind, Kurosawa establishes characters that wrestle with inevitability and fate. Unlike "Yojimbo" (1961) which made a sort of glory out of violence, "Throne of Blood" has an atmosphere of terror and intensity around it. He will comment on the final stages of the main quest, then invite you to the throne room to begin. Use the HTML below. In short what goes around comes around. Director Akira Kurosawa had wanted to make Throne of Blood for some time. One of the best Shakespearean adaptations ever made, and that director Akira Kurosawa topped himself by helming the brilliant King Lear-inspired Ran 28 years later only cements the fact that he will always be heralded as one of the greats. Copyright © Fandango. A wonderful version of Macbeth, and done without a single line of Shakespeare's dialogue. I was also very fond of the performance by Isuzu Yamada as Lady Macbeth's equivalent. When the current Great Lord makes a surprise visit to his garrison outpost, Washizu is again promoted to commander of his vanguard but his wife reminds him of the danger that comes with the position. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him. The scene towards the end, the one with archers hurling volley after volley of arrows at Mifune, is outstanding, and even more so when we discover that they were real arrows. After securing a major victory on the battlefield, Taketoti Washizu and one of his commanders, Yoshiaki Miki, find themselves lost in the maze-like Spider's Web forest. The tone of the film is dark, and like Seven Samurai before it, unfolds steadily to really grab your attention with strong visuals and breathtaking set pieces. UNDERCOVER introduces a new capsule designed for the Fall/Winter 2020 season and turn to Akira Kurosawa's 1957 film, 'Macbeth, Throne of Blood' for inspiration. 1957. Kurosawa grounds this downward spiral through the presence of Toshiro Mifune, who personalizes the Macbeth role while making it greater than his historical moment. Akira Kurosawa is one of the most celebrated and renowned of all filmmakers not only because he created some of the world's greatest visionary masterpieces such "Seven Samurai" (1954), "Rashomon" (1950), and "Yojimbo" (1961) but because he had the nerve to draw in on formulas and elements from all around the world and not just those of his native Japan. Throne Of Blood is a popular song by Captain Boxes | Create your own TikTok videos with the Throne Of Blood song and explore 0 videos made by new and popular creators. Bhaal's most trusted priestess, High Matriarch Amelyssan the Blackhearted was entrusted to safeguard his essence for the time of his resurrection. From the creator of "Rashomon" and "Ikiru". Throne of Blood. Coming Soon. After defeating the lord's enemies in battle, they visit the fortress. Akira Kuroswa crafts yet again another stunning, bold; epic that is Throne of Blood. In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. As a hardened warrior who rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune gives a remarkable, animalistic performance, as does Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife. Directed by Akira Kurosawa • 1957 • Japan. A potent adaptation that captures all the strange atmosphere of Shakespeare's play, and invests it an exhilarating, visceral aesthetic. As usual; acting, writing, cinematography, sound, direction and production are all pitch perfect. Throne of Blood is an epic historical drama by renowned director Kurosawa Akira and with charismatic lead actor Mifune Toshiro. Akira … Coming Soon. One Kurosawa masterpiece packs more poignancy, punch and philosophy then 10 lesser films thus you get 10 times the movie at 5 times the price, really quite a deal if you look at it that way, 3-8-13. Here are the buzz-worthy titles you're going to want to mark on your calendar. 1961 109 minutes. Few people are more knowledgeable about film and Japanese film then he. …the same title, Kumonosu-jo ( Throne of Blood) was adapted from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Donzoko (1957; The Lower Depths) was from Maxim Gorky’s drama: each of these films is skillfully Japanized. Showing as part of. |, April 10, 2014 Collapse. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service. | Rotten (2). Kurosawa Production, March 30, 2020 | Rating: 10/10 Review: NYC label Throne Of Blood pay tribute to Monty Luke's Black Catalogue by inviting the chieftain himself and label-mates the Carter Bros to curate the A-side of their latest release, Throne Of Black Catalogue. Toshirô Mifune Cast. | Fresh (41) Throne of Blood Directed by. Washizu has no desire to become Great Lord but his ambitious wife urges him to reconsider. Photo: ‘ Throne of Blood’/Toho ‘Throne Of Blood’ is the first of Akira Kurosawa ’s two Shakespeare adaptations (the second being ‘Ran’, an excellent adaptation of ‘King Lear’) set in feudal Japan.It is an exciting take on ‘Macbeth’ that stars Toshirô Mifune as Washizu, a warrior coerced by his wife (Isuzu Yamada) into usurping his kingdom following a life-changing prophecy. Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城) is a 1955 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa starring Toshiro Mifune. We'll notify you on your wishlist when movies become available. IF THEY DON'T STOCK OUR TUN. Some of the supporting cast members, such as those by Akira Kubo and Takashi Shimura seem very underdeveloped. A drunken doctor with a hot temper and a violence-prone gangster with tuberculosis form a quicksilver bond. Throne of Blood subtitles. NYC Based record label. When they arrive at the castle, they learn that the first part of the prophecy is correct. With tense atmosphere to really elevate the plot, Throne of Blood delivers a stunning film experience that captivates you from start to finish. They come across a spirit-like seer who tells them of their future: both have been promoted because of their victory that day; Washizu will someday be the Great Lord of the Spider's Web castle while Miki's son will someday rule as Great Lord as well. But there also came times when Kurosawa would tend to the realm of William Shakespeare and the influential plays that he created so many years before.The Shakespearian play "Macbeth" is considered one of the playwright's classics, so it wasn't a surprise when Akira Kurosawa decided to film his own adaptation of the story and blend it with his own shocking twists and ideas. |. Throne of Blood is Kurosawa’s samurai-era retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth and centers around Toshiro Mifune (originally in the running as Obi-Wan Kenobi) as Washizu, a general who is prophesied to become the lord of Spider’s Web Castle. A career high point for Akira Kurosawa -- and one of the best film adaptations of a Shakespeare play. The idea behind "Throne of Blood" is good, but the actual writing did not live up to expectation. Toshiro Mifune was perfect casting as the bloodthirsty Washizu. View production, box office, & company info. Need some streaming picks for the month? Actors. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. | Rating: 5/5 Takashi Shimura Cast. The period costumes were wonderful, and I loved the headgear the samurai wore. It's a pretty outstanding adaptation/reinterpretation of "Macbeth" with Mifune's unhinged performance anchoring the film. Don't have an account? |, March 4, 2013 Check out our February TV calendar for the biggest TV premieres this month, including "Clarice," "Superman & Lois," and "Strip Down, Rise Up.". It stars Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura, Akira Kubo, Kokuten Kōdō and was distributed by … Coming Soon. Akira Kurosawa Director, Producer, Screenplay, Editing. In the case of this film, the cinematography helps set the tone, atmosphere that is needed to tell such a story, and it makes for a truly engrossing and highly memorable picture that is sure to appeal to genre fans looking for bold, atmospheric and ultimately epic films that tell simple, yet good stories to really grab your attention.