Throne of Blood Review

Throne of Blood Review

Throne of Blood Shakespeare Adaptation

The film, Throne of Blood, also known as but never confirmed by director Akira Kurosawa, as an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is a well received film. Many critics boast it is the most successful recreation of the play, saying praises such as “unquestionably one of his finest works [referring to Kurosawa] - charged with energy, imagination, and, in keeping with the subject, sheer horror.” (Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader 2008) In this restaging of Macbeth Kurosawa utilizes a black and white picture and filming on location, constructing the Spider’s Web castle on the side of Mount Fuji as well as well as creating the courtyard at the Toho Tamagawa studio, where volcanic soil from Mount Fuji was brought in order to make the ground of the set match the location of the film. The Spider’s Web Forest was filmed in the actual Fuji forest as well as shots of forest in Tokyo. The use of fog in the more mystic scenes provide a viewer with a sinister, creeping, feeling. Where as the original text describes Scotland as more or less filthy and sickly, feudal Japan in the film is clean, if not excessively so with its’ barrenness. The film takes the basic idea of Macbeth but turns it into something new, with Lady Macbeth/Lady Asaji’s character being the devil on Washizu’s shoulder. In Shakespeare’s play Lady Macbeth is an almost masculine character with her take charge “if you want something done right you have to do it yourself” attitude. Because Throne of Blood is set in feudal Japan, Asaji presents the typical behavior of a woman, what was expected of a Japanese woman, in manner and behavior. Asaji barely shows emotion in this film, other than the hand washing scene at the end of the film where she sees blood that isn’t there. She remains stoic when she tells Washizu what will become of him if he doesn’t kill Tsuzaki/Duncan and then Miki. She’s the driving force for Washizu/Macbeth in providing seemingly logical reasons for Washizu to murder the Lord Tsuzaki, unlike Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth to kill Duncan for power alone. Other than this change, another major change that needed to be made and fit seamlessly in with this Japanese adaptation was the Forest Spirit rather than the three witches. The Forest Spirit in Throne of Blood is more menacing, not only because of the pile of corpses outside it’s hovel, but because the only emotion it seems to show is hysteria. The Forest Spirit gives it’s “prophecy” to Washizu and because of the makeup and slight technology used the spirit appears to glow white, almost like a ghost. It cackles and sings softly a foreboding, ominous song that sets the tone for what is to come later in the film as Washizu fulfills the prophecy. The little dialogue in this film also provides another major change compared to Shakespeare’s play. While Shakespeare’s play relies heavily on dialogue to present the intentions, thoughts and feelings of the characters, Throne of Blood manages with disturbing sounds, such as the rustle of Asaji’s robes when she is fetching the sake for the guards, the cry of the birds that almost sounds human, and the facial expressions Washizu eventually emotes out of fear. The long stretches of screen time where the characters pause after a major event, when Washizu kills Tsuzaki and holds the spear dripping with blood, eyes unseeing, don’t need the dialogue the original production used to relay how stunned and horrified he was at his actions. Finally, another major change to Macbeth is the relationship between Asaji and Washizu compared to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Washizu is vocally and visually more concerned and caring for Asaji when she is physically ill or her servants are afraid of her actions, than Macbeth with Lady Macbeth is trying to cope with her part in Duncan’s murder. When Asaji gives birth and the baby is stillborn Washizu is upset and asked the maid of her health. Macbeth simply calls for a physician to do something about Lady Macbeth’s madness, and she eventually commits suicide, unlike Asaiji where her fate is unknown. I think the changes made to Throne of Blood were extremely fitting for the setting and time period as well as creating a timelessness version.

Maxine de la Houssaye

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_Blood

Feudal Japan (12th-17th century)

Japanese