Editing Throne of Blood (section)

==Production==
===Development===
[[File:KANZE Sakon Obasute.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Noh]] was an influence on the film.]]
[[William Shakespeare]]'s plays had been read in Japan since the [[Meiji Restoration]] in 1868,{{sfn|Buchanan|2014|p=73}} though banned during World War II for not being Japanese.{{sfn|Buchanan|2014|p=74}} Director [[Akira Kurosawa]] stated that he had admired Shakespeare's ''[[Macbeth]]'' for a long time, and that he envisioned making a film adaptation of it after he completed his 1950 film ''[[Rashomon]]''. When he learned that [[Orson Welles]] had released his own version of ''[[Macbeth (1948 film)|Macbeth]]'' in 1948, Kurosawa decided to postpone his adaptation project for several years.{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=115}}

Kurosawa believed that Scotland and Japan in the [[Middle Ages]] shared social problems and that these had lessons for the present day. Moreover, ''Macbeth'' could serve as a [[cautionary tale]] complementing his 1952 film ''[[Ikiru]]''.{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=115}}

In May 1956, Kurosawa announced that he would be producing three [[Samurai cinema|samurai films]] for [[Toho]], ''Throne of Blood'', ''[[The Hidden Fortress]]'', and ''[[Yojimbo|Revenge]]'', each to be filmed from September 1956 to early 1957 by other directors.{{sfn|Hamano|2009|p=684}} [[Ishirō Honda]], best known for directing the 1954 ''[[kaiju]]'' film ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'', was slated to direct ''Throne of Blood'', but Kurosawa ended up directing all three films himself.{{sfn|Ryfle|Godziszewski|2017|p=130}}

The film combines Shakespeare's play with the [[Noh]] style of drama.{{sfn|Prince|1991|p=142–147}} Kurosawa was an admirer of Noh, which he preferred over [[Kabuki]]. In particular, he wished to incorporate Noh-style body movements and set design.{{sfn|McDonald|1994|p=125}} Noh also makes use of masks, and the evil spirit is seen, in different parts of the film, wearing faces reminiscent of these masks, starting with ''yaseonna'' (old lady).{{sfn|McDonald|1994|p=129}} Noh often stresses the Buddhist doctrine of [[impermanence]]. This is connected to Washizu being denied salvation, with the chorus singing that his ghost is still in the world.{{sfn|McDonald|1994|p=130}} Furthermore, the film score's use of flute and drum are drawn from Noh.{{sfn|Jin|2009|p=90}}

===Writing===
All three of Kurosawa's frequent script collaborators participated for the first time: [[Hideo Oguni]], [[Shinobu Hashimoto]], and [[Ryūzō Kikushima]], each working with the director for their fourth time. Initially, the screenwriters wrote the script with the intention that it would be directed by Ishirō Honda, but Toho insisted Kurosawa take the directing position after reading the script and realizing a large budget was required for the film.{{sfn|Hamano|2009|p=684}}

===Set design===
[[File:Making of Throne of Blood Scan10020-1.jpg|thumb|upright|Cast and crew members on the open set of ''Throne of Blood'', published in the early September 1956 issue of ''[[Kinema Junpo]]''. (from left to right) Shinjin Akiike, Fumio Yanoguchi, Kuichirō Kishida, Samaji Nonagase, [[Takao Saito (cinematographer)|Takao Saito]], [[Toshiro Mifune]] (in the jeep), [[Minoru Chiaki]], [[Takashi Shimura]], [[Teruyo Nogami]] (scripter), [[Yoshirō Muraki]], [[Akira Kurosawa]], Hiroshi Nezu, [[Asakazu Nakai]], and [[Sōjirō Motoki]].]]
The castle exteriors were built and shot on the volcanic slopes of [[Mount Fuji]].{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2002|p=233}} The castle courtyard was constructed at Toho's Tamagawa studio, with volcanic soil brought from Fuji so that the ground matched.{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=123}} The interiors were shot in a smaller studio in Tokyo. The forest scenes were a combination of actual Fuji forest and studio shots in Tokyo. Washizu's mansion was shot in the [[Izu Peninsula]].{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=123}}{{sfn|Richie|1964|p=}}

In Kurosawa's own words: {{quote|"It was a very hard film to make. We decided that the main castle set had to be built on the slope of Mount Fuji, not because I wanted to show this mountain but because it has precisely the stunted landscape that I wanted. And it is usually foggy. I had decided that I wanted lots of fog for this film... Making the set was very difficult because we didn't have enough people and the location was so far from Tokyo. Fortunately, there was a  [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] base nearby, and they helped a great deal; also a whole MP battalion helped us out. We all worked very hard indeed, clearing the ground, building the set. Our labor on this steep fog-bound slope, I remember, absolutely exhausted us; we almost got sick."{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=123}}{{sfn|Richie|1964|p=}}}}

Production designer [[Yoshirō Muraki]] said the crew opted to employ the color black in the set walls, and a lot of armor, to complement the mist and fog effects. This design was based on ancient scrolls depicting Japanese castles.{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=122}}

===Special effects===
The scene in which trees from the Spider's Web Forest approach the castle, was created by Toho's special effects department and directed by [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]. Originally, this scene was longer, but Kurosawa cut several shots of trees from the film because he was unimpressed by them.{{sfn|Takase|2003|p=303}}

Washizu's death scene, in which his own archers turn upon him and shoot him with arrows, was in fact performed with real arrows, shot by knowledgeable and skilled archers. During filming, Mifune waved his arms, which was how the actor indicated his intended bodily direction. This was for his own safety in order to prevent the archers from accidentally hitting him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/1957-akira-kurosawas-throne-blood-876215 |title=1957: When Akira Kurosawa's 'Throne of Blood' Was Ahead of Its Time |last=Blair |first=Gavin J. |date=March 16, 2016 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115191215/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/1957-akira-kurosawas-throne-blood-876215/ |archive-date=January 15, 2022}}</ref>