Monday, 30 April 2012

Is this a spear which I see before me?


Throne of Blood (1957)

Inspired by Macbeth this Japanese film once again teams up director Akira Kurosawa and star Toshiro Mifune. In feudal Japan a Samurai is given a prophecy of his future success and is seduced by ambition.

Kurosawa provides an excellent back drop for the story in this film with moody buildings, foggy mountainsides and tangled forests for locations. When it comes to adapting the Macbeth I was disappointed that the corner stone relationship between Macbeth and his wife is not as rich in this version as it seems much of the sexual element of the piece is removed. Overall this is an atmospheric adaptation that is well worth watching even if it does not give you the full Shakespeare experience.

4/5

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