Throne of Blood (1957) Review - Dylan McCully

Written by Dylan McCully, 10/22/22

Dylan McCully's Cinema: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls521125877/

Immediately the foggy landscape of Mount Fuji sticks out as the most beautiful yet uneasy location in any Kurosawa film. The spooky forest and beautiful temples make for a perfectly crafted samurai drama, with some of Kurosawa's most memorable set pieces to date. Mifune shines as always, as his expressiveness makes his character truly feel alive.

As an adaptation of Macbeth, the story should be familiar to most. Miki (played by Akira Kubo) and Washizu (played by Toshiro Mifune), two samurai, find a spirit in the forest who tells them their futures. Washizu, who is Macbeth, will become the new lord and Miki, who is Fleance, will have a son who eventually overtakes Washizu as lord. Washizu and his wife Asaji plan to kill the current lord, which Washizu does. The old lord's sons are suspicious of Washizu, and as Miki shows up dead, his son out for vengeance, and with a possible heir of his own on the way, Washizu must destroy all enemies for succumb to the prophecy. The best scenes in this film are the contemplative conversations between Washizu and Asaji, perfectly framed as always, where they make their decisions on how to proceed. This heightens the tension during the battles because of Mifune's reactions to the changing power dynamics.

Although all of Kurosawa's classic-era films are very influential, Throne of Blood stands up there with Seven Samurai and Rashomon as one of his most renowned. From the ominous tracking shots near the beginning to the slow buildup into the arrow-heavy climax, some people believe that Kurosawa has never done better. Although I think Throne of Blood pales in comparison to Seven Samurai, it's a classic that's well worth a watch. 8/10

Akira Kurosawa Ranking:

1. Seven Samurai (1954) - 10/10

2. Ikiru (1952) - 9/10

3. Rashomon (1950) - 9/10

4. Throne of Blood (1957) - 8/10

5. Stray Dog (1949) - 7.5/10

6. I Live In Fear (1955) - 7/10

7. Drunken Angel (1948) - 6.5/10