"Throne of Blood" (Language - Japanese) (1957) - Movie Review

Akira Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” (Japanese literal meaning as “Spider Web’s Castle) is considered one of the best film adaptations of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” into Medieval Japan. I am not familiar with the readings or story of “Macbeth” (forgive my literary ignorance) and hence the view towards the film is purely for its content, which is how it should be. It might shock some, but the film lacked the development of characters which is something a corner stone in every Kurosawa’s movies I have watched till date.

There are parts of the movie which are technically versatile and exhibit what the director is famous for. With his regular favourite lead Toshirô Mifune as Taketori Washizu the courageous warrior, it tells the story of a loyal soldier into a treacherous and deceitful scum in this film. The venoms of doubts and betrayal are planted by his wife Asaji (Isuzu Yamada). As the introduction of Washizu with his trusted friend and subordinate Miki (Minoru Chiaki) in the dense forest comes in, we wonder how much of the director’s obsession goes with the nature, which he uses in all his films. And when the rain pours and lightning strikes, it just gets better. The encounter with a spirit/ghost they term as evil identifies them and mainly tells the cursed statements of its prophecy. This is the part which captured me immediately. The aftermath of their encounter when they sit down for resting, the tone and the timing truly brings the deepest thoughts in them. This is the characterization I always look for in Kurosawa’s movies and after this, it disappears.

Asaji’s background is not known. She is introduced directly as Washizu’s wife and right from the get go, she consistently spits doubts on him. There is no apparent reason for her to doubt both his Lord and his friend Miki. If it is to protect her husband and herself, it does not convince us in her wicked character every time. Even when Washizu is full of trust and goes on conscience reasoning, she shoots it down. Washizu is a man of rage and bravery but is he a fool too? Every one deep inside has the temptation of wealth and power. That is dealt in every day life and Washizu is not an every day person. He is pretty old and his traits are phenomenal before Asaji’s corrupting words. Asaji tackles perfectly but it seems so out of place and odd on the immediate acceptance of those by Washizu. We do not know much of back ground of Washizu, Miki and Asaji but that’s where the building of their personalities comes in. Sadly, it looks like an eventuality of the script rather than an event in the story.

The conviction is mainly missing in the characters. Mifune as usual with his mastery fierce look and powerful eyes is both frightening and menacing. Washizu’s conscience is flimsy for other unexplained reasons. Basing everything on the prophecy appears thin filmed as they look mature and reasonable. Their eagerness to be powerful is understandable but does it explain their blind belief too? Similarly Miki for unknown reasons doubts Noriyasu (Takashi Shimura) who Washizu and Asaji blame on killing the Lord. Of course he trusts Washizu but why does he shower arrows at the Prince who comes along with Noriyasu? He believes in the prophecy but the above action does not explain it at all.

The technical clarity is breathtaking. The moving cameras in the dense forest and the misty chaos with horse galloping in all directions are a tool of delusion and confusion. The silk dress of Asaji making the irritating sound and her way into the dark room to bring out the drugged Sake is another classic shot. The most impressive and dangerously shot sequence is the finale. The showering of arrows over Washizu and especially the deadly aim through his neck could have been a gory scene for those times. One cannot wonder how well it is done. It seems real arrows were used with professional archers to get a natural expression on Mifune’s face.

Even after all those technical expertise and acting of Mifune, “Throne of Blood” fails to make a mark. It is a short film for a story like this and lots of scenes were dedicated for movement than for dialogues or scenes to explain some characterization. At a time period less than this film both “Yojimbo” and “Sanjuro” accomplished its goal comfortably and brought a super hero character in it. It did not become a plain warrior fight or cleverness and improvising techniques of the samurai but some change in him as a person with strong scenes. Negative characters have the power and presence to make its mark to have a space in our heart, wickedly. Washizu sure does have the power and presence but that solely does not build up the film. Sanjuro is a negative character too but the transformation and realization of his bad means to an end is convincing. Washizu goes from being a loyal warrior into a wicked aspirer with few unconvincing words from his wife. That is not a trademark Kurosawa reasoning I know of.