The films of
Akira Kurosawa offer endless bounty of rewards with repeat viewings and the
more historical background is uncovered. His films are like eating an
artichoke, finding layer upon layer until the heart is finally
revealed. Even those who stop before reaching the center will be satisfied,
with skilled filmmaking carrying a classic narrative, though this is no comparison to the delectable morsels at the center.
It would be
easiest to refer to Throne of Blood as Kurosawa’s adaptation of William
Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and knowing
only the story of the Scottish King from this tale would be enough to make Throne of Blood entertaining. Kurosawa
made the change in setting from eleventh-century Scotland
to sixteenth century Japan
Kurosawa’s films
often contained themes of the strong preying on the weak, and the moral
struggle to oppose this injustice. Shakespeare’s Macbeth contains significant themes of greed and corruption in a
desperate scramble for power. While the end result is hardly as uplifting as
the peasant’s struggle against the bandits in Seven Samurai or as engaging as the two clans being pitted against
each other in pursuit of this power in Yojimbo,
the message is clearly the same.
The reason
Kurosawa is still unsurpassed in his abilities today is because of the way that
he was able to create such rich entertainment, with his intelligent story
layers never seem to take precedence over the simple visual pleasure that
cinema has to offer. Even by today’s standards his films are remarkably
vibrant, and Throne of Blood utilizes
an element of Japanese Noh theater in order to retain some of the theatrical
elements of Shakespeare’s play.
The way that
Kurosawa presents the story of Macbeth through
the simplistic art of Noh theater distances the audience from the characters.
We experience the story as a parable, never truly drawn in to relate to any of
the characters as much as the characteristics of human weakness. What makes Throne of Blood so powerful is not
simply the film itself, but the personal knowledge of human behavior each
viewer brings to the experience.
The Blu-ray
release of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood
is dual format, also including a DVD copy of the film. This release also
includes a newly restored 2K digital film transfer, with an uncompressed
monaural soundtrack. The special features are the same on both discs, including
a commentary track with Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck, a making-of documentary,
and two alternate subtitle translations for this richly poetic dialogue. The
package also includes a booklet insert with an essay by film historian Stephen
Prince and notes on the subtitles by translators Linda Hoaglund and Donald
Richie.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 10/10
Historical
Significance: 9/10
Disc Features: 9.5/10
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