Throne of Blood

Nobody uses rain effects like Kurosawa, and in this adaptation of Macbeth he adds wind and fog into his weather-based repertoire to dazzling effect. The environment here pulses with dread and foreboding. The setting translates perfectly--I especially loved the Japanese version of the ghost spirit and that final sequence of arrows was gorgeous.

“Admirable, my Lord. You, who would soon rule the world, allow a ghost to frighten you.” The story is about a war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle. ‘Throne of Blood’ is a gloomy, atmospheric retelling of Shakespeare's classic story of Macbeth. It took me awhile to realize that it’s a loose retelling of Macbeth until halfway through, so most of the time I was noticing certain plot points. Even then, it’s a intriguing interpretation with many elements of general horror, foreboding and dread. That’s director Akira Kurosawa for you. Toshirô Mifune delivers an energetic and fiery performance. Isuzu Yamada (who basically plays Lady Macbeth) is both eerie and almost ghostly. Who would’ve thought Shakespeare would still work effectively without the rhythm and rhyme, set in the backdrop of Japan. A timeless tale.