Editing Throne of Blood

{{Short description|1957 Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Throne of Blood
| image          = Throne of Blood.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Akira Kurosawa]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sōjirō Motoki]]
* Akira Kurosawa
}}
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Macbeth]]''|[[William Shakespeare]]}} {{small|(uncredited)}}
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Shinobu Hashimoto]]
* [[Ryūzō Kikushima]]
* Akira Kurosawa
* [[Hideo Oguni]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Toshiro Mifune]]
* [[Isuzu Yamada]]
* [[Takashi Shimura]]
}}
| music          = [[Masaru Sato]]
| cinematography = [[Asakazu Nakai]]
| editing        = Akira Kurosawa
| studio         = [[Toho|Toho Co., Ltd]]
| distributor    = Toho
| released       = {{film date|1957|01|15|Japan}}
| runtime        = 110 minutes
| country        = Japan
| language       = Japanese
| budget         = <!--{{¥|120 million}}{{sfn|Usui|1959|p=329}}<br />(-->{{USD|350,000|long=no}}<!--)--><ref name="Variety">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/variety202-1956-05/page/n217/mode/1up?q=%22budgeted+at%22|magazine=Variety|date=May 1956|title=Now Japan Plans Fast Pix Prod of 'Macbeth'|page=14}}</ref>
| gross          = {{USD|46,808|long=yes}} (Kurosawa & Mifune Festival)<ref name="Mojo">{{Cite Box Office Mojo|id=0050613|title=Throne of Blood|access-date=2022-05-31 |url-status=live|archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531232150/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0050613/}}</ref>
}}
{{nihongo|'''''Throne of Blood'''''|蜘蛛巣城|Kumonosu-jō|{{literal translation|''The Spider Web Castle''}}|lead=yes}} is a 1957 Japanese [[Epic film|epic]] ''[[jidaigeki]]'' film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by [[Akira Kurosawa]], with special effects by [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]. The film transposes the plot of English [[dramatist]] [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[Macbeth]]'' (1606) from Medieval Scotland to feudal Japan, with stylistic elements drawn from [[Noh]] drama. The film stars [[Toshiro Mifune]] and [[Isuzu Yamada]] in the lead roles, modelled on the characters [[Macbeth (character)|Macbeth]] and [[Lady Macbeth]].

As with the play, the film tells the story of a warrior who assassinates his sovereign at the urging of his ambitious wife. Kurosawa was a fan of the play and intended to make his own adaptation for several years, delaying it after learning of [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Macbeth (1948 film)|Macbeth]]'' (1948). Among his changes was the ending, which required archers to shoot arrows around Mifune. The film was shot around [[Mount Fuji]] and [[Izu Peninsula]]. With a budget of <!--{{¥|120 million}}{{sfn|Usui|1959|p=329}} or -->{{USD|350,000|long=yes}} ({{Inflation|US|350000|1957|fmt=eq|r=-3}}), the film was one of the [[List of most expensive films|most expensive films ever made]] in Japan at the time of its release.<ref name="Variety"/>

Despite the change in setting and language and numerous creative liberties, ''Throne of Blood'' is often considered one of the best [[Macbeth on screen|film adaptations of the classic play]], and has received much critical praise. The film won two [[Mainichi Film Awards]], including [[Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for Toshiro Mifune.<ref name=":0" />

==Plot==
Generals Miki and Washizu are [[samurai]] commanders and friends under Tsuzuki, a local lord who reigns in the castle of the Spider's Web Forest. After defeating the lord's enemies in battle, they return to his castle. On their way through the thick forest, they encounter a spirit who foretells their future, informing them that Washizu will be named Lord of the Northern Garrison and Miki will become commander of the first fortress that day. The spirit then foretells that Washizu eventually will become Lord of Spider's Web Castle, and finally, Miki's son will become lord. When the two return to Tsuzuki's estate, he rewards them with exactly what the spirit had predicted. As Washizu discusses this with his wife Asaji, she manipulates him into causing the second part of the prophecy to come true by murdering Tsuzuki when he visits.

Asaji gives drugged [[sake]] to Tsuzuki's guards, causing them to fall asleep and allowing Washizu to enter Tsuzuki's bedchamber and kill him in his sleep. When Washizu returns in shock at his deed, Asaji grabs the bloody spear and puts it in the hands of an unconscious guard, then cries out that an intruder has entered the castle; Washizu slays the guard before he has a chance to plead his innocence. Kunimaru, Tsuzuki's vengeful son, and Noriyasu, one of Tsuzuki's advisors, both suspect Washizu's treachery and try to warn Miki, who refuses to believe what they are saying about his friend. Under Asaji's influence, Washizu is unsure of Miki's loyalty but chooses Miki's son as his heir because he and Asaji have no child of their own. Washizu plans to tell Miki and his son about his decision at a grand banquet. However, Asaji tells him that she is pregnant, which leaves him with a quandary concerning his heir: now, Miki and his son have to be eliminated.

During the banquet, Washizu is agitated because Miki and his son have not arrived and drinks sake copiously. He loses his self-control when Miki's ghost suddenly appears. In a delusional panic, he reveals what has happened to Miki by exclaiming that he is willing to slay Miki a second time, unsheathing his sword and slashing at the empty air near Miki's seat. Attempting to cover for him, Asaji tells the guests that he is drunk and has everyone retire for the evening. One of Washizu's men arrives carrying a bundle containing the severed head of Miki, and tells Washizu and Asaji that Miki's son escaped. Washizu kills the man.

Later, Washizu's men are beginning to doubt and fear him, and rumors circulate that Miki's son Yoshiteru, Kunimaru, and Noriyasu have joined forces with their onetime rival Inui. Washizu is distraught by the news that his heir has been [[stillborn|born dead]]. In order to ascertain the outcome of the impending battle with his foes, he returns to the forest in search of the evil spirit. The spirit tells him that he will not be defeated in battle until "the trees of the Spider's Web Forest rise against the castle". Washizu believes this is impossible and becomes confident of his victory. Washizu tells his troops of the prophecy, and they share his confidence. The next morning, Washizu is awakened by the screams of Asaji's attendants. In her quarters, he finds Asaji in a semi-catatonic state, trying to wash clean an imaginary stain and stench of blood from her hands. Distracted by the sound of his troops, Washizu leaves to investigate. Washizu is told by a panicked soldier that the trees of Spider's Web Forest "have risen to attack us".

Washizu tries to muster his troops, but they ignore his commands and begin firing arrows at him. Several go through his armor, and one pierces his neck, severely wounding him. When Washizu tells them that to kill their lord is treason, they accuse him of the murder of his predecessor. With his enemies approaching the castle gates, he falls to his arrow wounds, trying to draw his sword as he dies. It is then revealed that the attacking force had used trees, cut from the forest during the night, to shield their advance onto the castle.

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Actor !! Character !! ''[[Macbeth]]'' analogue
|-
| [[Toshiro Mifune]] || Taketoki Washizu || [[Macbeth (character)|Macbeth]]{{sfn|Maltin|2014|p=1429}}{{sfn|McDougal|1985|p=253}}
|-
| [[Isuzu Yamada]] || Lady Asaji Washizu{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2002|pp=683-684}}  || [[Lady Macbeth]]{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=117}}{{sfn|McDougal|1985|p=253}}
|-
| [[Takashi Shimura]]  || Noriyasu Odagura || [[Macduff (Macbeth)|Macduff]]{{sfn|Burnett|2014|p=67}}
|-
| [[Akira Kubo]] || Yoshiteru Miki || [[Fleance]]{{sfn|Phillips|2013|p=31}}
|-
| Yōichi Tachikawa  || Kunimaru Tsuzuki || [[Malcolm (Macbeth)|Malcolm]]{{sfn|McDougal|1985|p=253}}
|-
| [[Minoru Chiaki]] || Yoshiaki Miki || [[Banquo]]{{sfn|McDougal|1985|p=253}}{{sfn|Phillips|2013|p=31}}{{sfn|Hatchuel|Vienne-Guerrin|Bladen|2013}}
|-
| Takamaru Sasaki || Lord Kuniharu Tsuzuki || [[King Duncan]]{{sfn|Davies|1994|p=161}}
|-
| [[Chieko Naniwa]] || Witch{{sfn|McDougal|1985|p=253}} || The [[Three Witches]]{{sfn|Buchanan|2014|p=73}}
|-
| [[Kokuten Kōdō]] || First General  ||
|-
| [[Sachio Sakai]] || Washizu's samurai{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2002|pp=683-684}} ||
|-
| [[Yū Fujiki]] || Washizu's samurai{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2002|pp=683-684}} ||
|-
| Kichijirō Ueda || Washizu's workman{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2002|pp=683-684}} ||
|-
| [[Takeshi Katō (actor)|Takeshi Katō]] || Tsuzuki's samurai ||
|-
| [[Shōbun Inoue]] || Tsuzuki's messenger ||
|-
| [[Asao Koike]] || Tsuzuki's messenger ||
|-
| Eiko Miyoshi || Senior lady-in-waiting ||
|-
| [[Isao Kimura]] ||  Messenger (Phantom) ||
|-
| [[Seiji Miyaguchi]] || Messenger (Phantom) ||
|-
|}

==Crew==
{{Div col}}
* [[Akira Kurosawa]] – director, co-writer, producer, editor
* [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] – special effects director
* [[Yoshimitsu Banno]] – assistant director
* Kuichirō Kishida – lighting
* Takao Saitō – camera assistant
* Masao Fukuda – still photographer
* [[Kohei Ezaki]] – chief art director
* Yoshirō Muraki – art director and costume designer
* Masanori Kobayashi – make-up artist
* Ichirō Minawa – sound effects
{{Div col end}}
Personnel taken from ''Throne of Blood'' by Robert N. Watson.{{sfn|Watson|2020|p=93}}

==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>

==Release==
The film was released theatrically in Japan on January 15, 1957, by [[Toho]],{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=129}} and grossed {{¥|198 million}}, making it the second-highest-grossing Japanese film of 1957,{{sfn|''Kinema Junpo''|2012|p=128}} after [[Shintoho]]'s ''Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War'', which grossed ¥542.91 million.{{sfn|''Kinema Junpo''|2012|p=138}} In the United States, the film was distributed by Brandon Films with English subtitles at 105 minutes and opened on November 22, 1961.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2002|pp=683-684}}{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=129}}

''Throne of Blood'' was the first film to be screened at the 1st [[BFI London Film Festival]] on October 16, 1957.{{sfn|Kurosawa|1957|p=60}}{{sfn|Hamano|2009|pp=287–294}} After the screening, [[Akira Kurosawa]] attended a party at film critic [[Dilys Powell]]'s house, and had dinner with actor [[Laurence Olivier]], and actress [[Vivien Leigh]] who were planning on playing [[Macbeth (character)|Macbeth]] and [[Lady Macbeth]] in a [[Macbeth (unfinished film)#Stratford-upon-Avon stage production|film adaptation]] of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Macbeth]]'' that never materialized. Olivier told Kurosawa that he had enjoyed watching the film and was impressed by the scene in which [[Toshiro Mifune]]'s Macbeth is shot by arrows. [[Isuzu Yamada]]'s acting impressed Leigh, and she asked why Yamada made such little movement when she was mad.{{sfn|Kurosawa|1957|pp=61-62}}{{sfn|Hamano|2009|pp=287–294}}

In 1991, the film was released in the United States on [[LaserDisc]] by [[The Criterion Collection]], and on [[VHS]] by [[Media Home Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite web |title=黒澤明監督作品／LDジャケット特集 |url=http://www.ld-dvd-bluray.2-d.jp/gallery2/hikaku_kurosawa.html |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=LD, DVD, & Blu-ray Gallery |language=Japanese |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509154038/http://www.ld-dvd-bluray.2-d.jp/gallery2/hikaku_kurosawa.html |archive-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref> Toho released the film on [[DVD]] in Japan in 2002 and on [[Blu-ray]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=蜘蛛巣城 : DVD・ブルーレイ |url=https://eiga.com/movie/10265/dvd/ |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=[[:ja:映画.com|Eiga.com]] |publisher=[[Kakaku.com]] |language=Japanese |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503071100/https://eiga.com/movie/10265/dvd/ |archive-date=May 3, 2022 }}</ref> In 2013, [[Madman Entertainment]] distributed the film on DVD in Region 4.<ref name="Madman">{{cite web|url=https://www.madman.co.nz/catalogue/view/19792/throne-of-blood|title=Throne of Blood|website=Madman Entertainment NZ|publisher=[[Madman Entertainment]]|access-date=May 3, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504015710/https://www.madman.co.nz/catalogue/view/19792/throne-of-blood|archive-date=May 4, 2022}}</ref> In [[Blu-ray#A|Region A]], The Criterion Collection released the film on Blu-ray in 2014, having released the film on DVD 10 years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2014-01-08/dvd-extra-throne-of-blood/ |title=DVD Extra: 'Throne of Blood' |last=Baumgarten |first=Marjorie |date=January 8, 2014 |access-date=December 11, 2016 |work=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118105813/http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2014-01-08/dvd-extra-throne-of-blood/|archive-date=January 18, 2014}}</ref>

In 2018, the film was screened by the [[National Film Archive of Japan]] at the ''Essential 2018 National Film Archive Opening Cinema Memorial'' in [[Kyōbashi, Tokyo]], along with 9 other Japanese films.<ref name="National Film">{{cite web|url=https://eiga.com/news/20180820/7/|title=国立映画アーカイブ新企画に黒澤明＆小林正樹＆今村昌平＆相米慎二の名作ずらり！|date=August 20, 2018|access-date=May 3, 2022|website=[[:ja:映画.com|Eiga.com]]|publisher=[[Kakaku.com]]|language=Japanese|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822113145/https://eiga.com/news/20180820/7/|archive-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> In 2021, the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute screened a [[4K resolution|4K remaster]] of the film at the 12th 10am Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eiga.com/news/20220221/7/|title=「午前十時の映画祭 12」ラインナップ発表 「理由なき反抗」「8 1/2」「空の大怪獣ラドン」…40年代から00年代の名作29本|date=February 21, 2021|access-date=May 3, 2022|website=[[:ja:映画.com|Eiga.com]]|publisher=[[Kakaku.com]]|language=Japanese|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424221809/https://eiga.com/news/20220221/7/|archive-date=April 24, 2022}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 47 reviews, with an average score of 8.80/10. The site's consensus states: "A career high point for Akira Kurosawa – and one of the best film adaptations of a Shakespeare play."<ref name="RottenTomatoes">{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|title=Throne of Blood|id=throne_of_blood|type=m|access-date=2022-05-10|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220501130338/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/throne_of_blood|archive-date=2022-05-01}}</ref>

When it was released in the United States in 1961, the ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' review praised Kurosawa and the film as "a visual descent into the hell of greed and superstition".<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 1, 1961 |title=Cinema: Kurosawa's Macbeth |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938835,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=December 9, 2016 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026140419/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938835,00.html|archive-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref>

[[Bosley Crowther]] from ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the idea of Shakespeare in Japanese "amusing", and complimented the cinematography.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/11/23/archives/screen-change-in-scenejapanese-production-of-macbeth-opens.html |title=Screen: Change in Scene: Japanese Production of 'Macbeth' Opens |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |author-link=Bosley Crowther |date=November 23, 1961 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425072849/https://www.nytimes.com/1961/11/23/archives/screen-change-in-scenejapanese-production-of-macbeth-opens.html|archive-date=April 25, 2022}}</ref> Most critics stated it was the visuals that filled the gap left by the removal of Shakespeare's poetry.{{sfn|Yoshimoto|2000|p=268}}

U.K. directors [[Geoffrey Reeve]] and [[Peter Brook]] considered the film to be a masterpiece, but denied it was a Shakespeare film because of the language.{{sfn|Jin|2009|p=88}} Film historian [[Donald Richie]] praised the film as "a marvel because it is made of so little: fog, wind, trees, mist".{{sfn|Richie|1998|p=120}}{{sfn|Jin|2009|p=90}} Film critic [[Stephen Prince]] compared its minimalist landscapes to the painting technique ''[[ink wash painting|sumi-e]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/270-throne-of-blood-shakespeare-transposed |title=Throne of Blood: Shakespeare Transposed |last=Prince |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Prince |date=January 6, 2014 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |work=[[The Criterion Collection]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304091337/https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/270-throne-of-blood-shakespeare-transposed|archive-date=March 4, 2022}}</ref>

David Parkinson of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine rated it 5 out of 5, calling it "highly cinematic" and "a film studded with magnificent set-pieces".<ref name="Empire">{{cite web |last=Parkinson |first=David |date=January 4, 2002 |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/throne-blood-review/ |title=''Throne of Blood'' Review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612124115/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/throne-blood-review/ |archive-date=2020-06-12 |access-date=2023-09-26 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref>

The film has received praise from literary critics despite the many liberties it takes with the original play. The American literary critic [[Harold Bloom]] judged it "the most successful film version of ''Macbeth''".{{sfn|Bloom|1999|p=519}} [[Sylvan Barnet]] writes it captured Macbeth as a strong warrior, and that "Without worrying about fidelity to the original," ''Throne of Blood'' is "much more satisfactory" than most Shakespeare films.{{sfn|Barnet|1998|p=197-198}} Film historian David A. Conrad wrote that just as Shakespeare's play commented on "questions of legitimacy, masculinity, and civil war" that resonated in early 17th-century England, Kurosawa's movie engages with contemporary Japanese debates about the "spiderless cobweb" of postwar bureaucracy and industry.{{sfn|Conrad|2022|p=116-122}} In his ''Movie Guide'', [[Leonard Maltin]] gave the film four stars, calling it a "graphic, powerful adaptation".{{sfn|Maltin|2014|p=1429}}

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}
|-
| [[Venice Film Festival]]
| [[Golden Lion]]
| [[Akira Kurosawa]]
| {{nom}}
| {{sfn|Schneider|2008|p=337}}
|-
| scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Kinema Junpo|''Kinema Junpo'' Awards]]
| Best 10 Japanese Films
|
| {{draw|4th place}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sfn|''Kinema Junpo''|2012|pp=138, 146}}
|-
| [[Kinema Junpo Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Isuzu Yamada]]
| {{won}}
|-
| scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Mainichi Film Awards]]
| [[Mainichi Film Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Toshiro Mifune]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" | <ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://mainichi.jp/mfa/history/012.html |title=毎日映画コンクール 第12回(1957年)|access-date=May 1, 2022 |work=[[Mainichi Film Awards]]|language=Japanese|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317200355/http://mainichi.jp/mfa/history/012.html|archive-date=March 17, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| [[Mainichi Film Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]]
| [[Yoshirō Muraki]]
| {{won}}
|-
| scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Blue Ribbon Awards]]
| Best 10 Japanese Films
|
| {{draw|7th place}}
| rowspan="2" | <ref name="BlueRibbon">{{cite web|url=http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/b_award/1957/|title=ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー|work=Cinema Hochi|access-date=April 25, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230231655/http://cinemahochi.yomiuri.co.jp/b_award/1957/|archive-date=December 30, 2013|language=Japanese}}</ref>
|-
| Technology Award
| Yoshirō Muraki
| {{won}}
|-
|Visual Technology Awards
|Art
|Yoshirō Muraki
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=日本映画技術賞 受賞一覧 - 一般社団法人 日本映画テレビ技術協会|url=http://www.mpte.jp/outline/kennsyou/technological_prize.html|website=www.mpte.jp|publisher=Motion Picture and Television Engineering Society of Japan|language=Japanese|access-date=April 27, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125024117/http://www.mpte.jp/outline/kennsyou/technological_prize.html|archive-date=November 25, 2021}}</ref>
|}

==Legacy==
[[Akira Kurosawa]]'s 1960 film ''[[The Bad Sleep Well]]'', was heavily influenced by [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]'', as well as ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' by [[Alexandre Dumas]].{{sfn|Tsuzuki|2010|p=299}} [[Roman Polanski]]'s 1971 film version of ''[[Macbeth (1971 film)|Macbeth]]'' has similarities to ''Throne of Blood'', in shots of characters on twisted roads, set design, and music to identify locations and psychological conditions.{{sfn|Kliman|2004|p=195}} [[Toshiro Mifune]]'s death scene was the source of inspiration for [[Piper Laurie]]'s death scene in the 1976 film ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'',{{sfn|Zinoman|2011|p=168}} in which knives are thrown at her, in this case by character [[Carrie White]] using her psychic powers. In 1985, Kurosawa returned to adapting Shakespeare, choosing the play ''[[King Lear]]'' for his final [[epic film]] ''[[Ran (film)|Ran]]'', and again moving the setting to feudal Japan.{{sfn|Davies|1994|p=153}}

''Throne of Blood'' is referenced in the [[anime]] film ''[[Millennium Actress]]'' (2001) in the form of the Forest Spirit/Witch.{{Citation needed |date=June 2024}} It was adapted for the stage by director [[Ping Chong]], premiering at the 2010 [[Oregon Shakespeare Festival]] in Ashland, Oregon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/theater/reviews/12throne.html |title=Sprawling Cinema, Tamed to a Stage |last=Isherwood |first=Charles |date=November 11, 2010 |access-date=December 10, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415225535/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/theater/reviews/12throne.html|archive-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Japan|Film}}
* ''[[The Bad Sleep Well]]''
* [[List of Japanese films of 1957]]
* [[List of William Shakespeare screen adaptations]]
* ''[[Ran (film)|Ran]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Barnet |first=Sylvan |author-link=Sylvan Barnet |chapter=Macbeth on Stage and Screen |title=Macbeth |url=https://archive.org/details/tragedyofmacbet000shak |url-access=registration |publisher=A Signet Classic |date=1998 |isbn=9780451526779 }}
* {{cite book |last=Bloom |first=Harold |author-link=Harold Bloom |title=Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human |location=New York |publisher=[[Riverhead Books]] |date=1999 |isbn=1-57322-751-X }}
* {{cite book |last=Buchanan |first=Judith R. |title=Shakespeare on Film |publisher=Routledge |date=2014 |isbn=978-1317874966 }}
* {{cite book |last=Burnett |first=Mark Thornton |chapter=Akira Kurosawa |title=Great Shakespeareans Set IV |volume=14-18 |location=London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney |publisher=Bloomsbury |date=2014 |isbn=978-1441145284 }}
* {{cite book|last=Conrad|first=David A.|title=Akira Kurosawa and Modern Japan|year=2022|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-1476686745}}
* {{cite book |last=Davies |first=Anthony |title=Filming Shakespeare's Plays: The Adaptations of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook, Akira Kurosawa |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=1994 |isbn=0521399130 }}
* {{cite book|last=Galbraith IV|first=Stuart|author-link=Stuart Galbraith IV|title=The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune|year=2002|publisher=[[Faber and Faber, Inc.]]|isbn=978-0-571-19982-2|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/emperorwolf00galb}}
* {{cite book |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography |location=Lanham, Maryland, Toronto and Plymouth |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |date=2008 |isbn=978-1461673743 }}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Hamano|editor-first=Yasuki|title=The Akira Kurosawa Archives|volume=2|date=December 18, 2009|location=Tokyo|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|isbn=9784062155762|language=Japanese}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Hatchuel |editor1-first=Sarah |editor2-last=Vienne-Guerrin |editor2-first=Nathalie |editor3-last=Bladen |editor3-first=Victoria |chapter=The Power of Prophecy in Global Adaptations of ''Macbeth'' |title=Shakespeare on Screen: Macbeth |publisher=Publication Univ Rouen Havre |date=2013 |isbn=9791024000404 }}
* {{cite magazine|title=The Complete 85-Installment History of Kinema Junpo's Best Ten: 1924-2011|magazine=[[Kinema Junpo]]|publisher=[[:ja:キネマ旬報社|Kinema Junposha]]|date=May 17, 2012|isbn=9784873767550|language=Japanese|ref={{harvid|''Kinema Junpo''|2012}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Kliman |first=Bernice W. |title=Macbeth |edition=Second |location=Manchester and New York |publisher=Manchester University Press |date=2004 |isbn=0719062292 }}
* {{cite magazine|last=Kurosawa|first=Akira|author-link=Akira Kurosawa|url=http://www.kinenote.com/main/public/cinema/book.aspx?book_id=192|title=10 Days in London and Paris|magazine=[[Kinema Junpo]]|publisher=[[:ja:キネマ旬報社|Kinema Junposha]]|issue=192|date=December 1957|language=Japanese}}
* {{cite book |first=Lei |last=Jin |chapter=Silence and Sound in Kurosawa's ''Throne of Blood'' |title=Shakespeare in Hollywood, Asia, and Cyberspace |location=West Lafayette, Indiana |publisher=Purdue University Press |date=2009 |isbn=978-1557535290 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/shakespeareinhol0000unse }}
* {{cite book |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |author-link=Leonard Maltin |url=https://archive.org/details/leonardmaltinsmo0000unse_r6m5 |url-access=registration |title=Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide |publisher=[[Penguin Group]] |location=New York |date=September 2, 2014 |isbn=978-0451468499 }}
* {{cite book |last=McDonald |first=Keiko I. |title=Japanese Classical Theater in Films |location=London and Toronto |publisher=Associated University Presses |date=1994 |isbn=0838635024 }}
* {{cite book |last=McDougal |first=Stuart Y. |title=Made into Movies: From Literature to Film |url=https://archive.org/details/madeintomoviesfr0000mcdo |url-access=registration |publisher=Holt, Rinehart, and Winston |date=1985 |isbn=9780030638046 }}
* {{cite book |last=Phillips |first=Chelsea |chapter=I Have Given Suck |title=Shakespeare Expressed: Page, Stage, and Classroom in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |date=2013 |isbn=978-1611475616 }}
* {{cite book |last=Prince |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Prince |title=The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |date=1991 |isbn=978-0691010465}}
* {{cite book |last=Richie |first=Donald |author-link=Donald Richie |title=The Films of Akira Kurosawa |location=Berkeley, Los Angeles and London |publisher=University of California Press |date=1998 |isbn=0520220374 }}
* {{cite magazine |last=Richie |first=Donald |date=1964 |url=http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/49625 |title=Kurosawa on Kurosawa |magazine=[[Sight & Sound]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=2022-05-09 |archive-date=2019-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520121122/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/49625 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book|last1=Ryfle|first1=Steve|last2=Godziszewski|first2=Ed|url=https://archive.org/details/ishiro-honda-a-life-in-film-from-godzilla-to-kurosawa|title=Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa|publisher=[[Wesleyan University Press]]|year=2017|isbn=9780819570871}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Schneider|editor1-first=Steven Jay|title=[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]|year=2008|edition=5th Anniversary/3rd|publisher=[[Barron's Educational Series]]|location=Hauppauge, New York|isbn=978-0-7641-6151-3|series=Quintessence Editions}}
* {{cite book |last=Takase |first=Masahiro |title=Stories from Inside Toho Studios: The Era of Toshiro Mifune |date=January 15, 2003 |publisher=[[Toho|Toho Publishing]] |isbn=978-4924609822 |language=Japanese }}
* {{cite book|last=Tsuzuki|first=Masaaki|title=The Complete Works and Life of Akira Kurosawa|publisher=[[Iwanami Shoten]]|year=2010|isbn=9784487804344|language=Japanese}}
<!--* {{cite book |editor-last=Usui |editor-first=Yoshimi |title=The World of Mass and Comic |series=Complete Works of Contemporary Culture |date=January 20, 1959 |publisher=[[Chikuma Shobō]] |volume=5 |language=Japanese |asin=B000JBG5L8 }}-->
* {{cite book|last=Watson|first=Robert N.|title=Throne of Blood|year=2020|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|series=BFI Film Classics|location=London|isbn=9781839021886}}
* {{cite book |last=Yoshimoto |first=Mitsuhiro |title=Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema |publisher=Duke University Press |date=2000 |isbn=0822325195 }}
* {{cite book |last=Zinoman |first=Jason |author-link=Jason Zinoman |chapter=He Likes to Watch |title=[[Shock Value (book)|Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Penguin Group|The Penguin Press]] |date=2011 |isbn=978-1-59420-302-2 }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb title|0050613}}
* {{tcmdb title|id=93206}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160401024641/http://www.toho.co.jp/library/system/movies/?299 ''Throne of Blood''] at the official Japanese-language [[Toho]] website (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190321002521/https://www.toho.website/kurosawa/12/index.html ''The Throne of Blood''] at the official English-language Toho website (archived)
* [https://www.criterion.com/films/735-throne-of-blood ''Throne of Blood''] at the [[The Criterion Collection|Criterion Collection]]
*[https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/270-throne-of-blood-shakespeare-transposed ''Throne of Blood: Shakespeare Transposed''] an essay by [[Stephen Prince]] at the Criterion Collection
* [http://history.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=5074&search_by=3&searchfield=1957 Program notes] from the 1957 [[San Francisco International Film Festival]]
* [http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1957/cg000350.htm ''Throne of Blood''] at the [[Japanese Movie Database]] {{in lang|ja}}
{{Macbeth}}

{{Akira Kurosawa}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Throne Of Blood}}
[[Category:1957 films]]
[[Category:1950s historical drama films]]
[[Category:1957 drama films]]
[[Category:1950s Japanese films]]
[[Category:Jidaigeki films]]
[[Category:Japanese historical drama films]]
[[Category:Films based on Macbeth]]
[[Category:Films directed by Akira Kurosawa]]
[[Category:Films produced by Sōjirō Motoki]]
[[Category:Japanese black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Japanese films based on plays]]
[[Category:1950s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:1950s samurai films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Akira Kurosawa]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Hideo Oguni]]
[[Category:Films scored by Masaru Sato]]
[[Category:Films shot in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Films set in castles]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ryuzo Kikushima]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Shinobu Hashimoto]]
[[Category:Toho films]]