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Throne of Blood 1957

Throne of Blood

Kurosawa relocates Macbeth to feudal Japan, where a warrior’s rise is inseparable from ambition and betrayal. Fog, landscape and Noh-derived performance give the familiar tragedy a different dramatic language.

Catalogue reference: 109 min (Criterion Collection spine 190 catalogue presentation).

Listed catalogue duration, not a measured runtime. Exact cut and matching disc or stream have not been established.

1957 · Directed by Akira Kurosawa

What to expect

The reason to watch is the transformation, not just recognition of Shakespeare’s plot. Mifune and Isuzu Yamada make the marriage at its centre a study in contrasting physical presence.

How to ease in

Attend to stillness, movement and the space around the characters. You do not need to match every role to Shakespeare to follow the pursuit of power.

For viewers curious about adaptation through image and performance.

Less suitable for naturalistic acting or reassuring heroism.

Heads-up

Violent ambition and formal, stylised acting dominate. This is a tragedy rather than a rousing samurai adventure.

Sources for the facts

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