Throne of Blood (1957) Review

Throne of Blood (1957)

Throne of Blood follows Taketoki Washizu, who, after encountering a witch in the woods, is spurred by her and his wife’s predictions, sending him down a path to murder his lord and steal the throne. 

With the smokey landscapes, the sprawling castles, and the themes of prophecy and betrayal, there is little doubt that Throne of Blood is a 16th century interpretation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, as Kurosawa puts his own unique spin on the mythical tale of one man’s deadly ambitions and his quest for power. Power that only comes through tragedy and it’s that tragedy that is so fascinating to watch, as we chart his journey from a heroic warrior, content in serving his lord with pride and honor, only to learn of his fate and resistantly seek more, historically rising but tragically falling. 

Unlike Macbeth however, and much credit goes to Mifune for this, is the way that Washizu is presented to us as more of a sympathetic, reluctant villain of his own story. You feel pity for him, as he was no more driven by greed than his friend Miki, but more driven by fate as delivered by his cunning wife and the witch of the forest. The horrible realization that sets in when the prophecy comes true only adds to the sinister air that lingers over his future. You feel so much of the guilt that is thrust on him, even as 90% of the damage is dealt by Asaji, making his murder at the hands of his own men all the more damning. 

We get a classic cast from Kurosawa as well, starring Chieko Naniwa, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Takamaru Sasaki, Takashi Shimura, Akira Kubo, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, and Toshiro Mifune. Naturally, Mifune carries Throne of Blood from start to finish, delivering a performance that is every bit as tortured, powerful, and incredibly psychotic that you expect out of the excellent character actor, that when coupled with Yamada’s downright inhumanly, terrifying performance, gives us one of the best adaptations of Macbeth to date. 

Throne of Blood, directed by Akira Kurosawa, is an epic historical drama that skillfully clashes the themes of Macbeth with Japanese Noh, providing us with a fascinating take on a timeless story of greed, honor, and conspiracy, that is equal parts stylistic and spooky as we chart Wishizu’s swift rise and almighty fall. 

9.3/10