Throne of Blood: Akira Kurosawa was a master of film. There is little that can be denied there in that his films are universally praised by most film critics. Throne of Blood is no exception to this as it was quite good and is well received by most critics.

The story is basically Macbeth set in Feudal Japan. Instead of Macbeth we have Washizu played by Japanese legend Toshiro Mifune. Also instead of the witches there is a single evil spirit who predicts the rise and fall of Washizu. Outside of other minor details, this is a pretty good version of Macbeth. The only thing I can notice is that Washizu's wife seems even more wicked than Lady Macbeth.

This is definitely one of Kurosawa's best films and is something that any serious student of film should watch. Fans of Shakespeare might appreciate it as well

Labels: Classics, Japanese, Kurosawa