Editing Throne of Blood (section)

===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}}