Apart from being the greatest Japanese film director of all time, Akira Kurosawa received a great deal of respect for his efforts to bridge cultural gaps between Japan and the West in his films. Due to the popularity of Kurosawa’s ‘jidai-geki’ 1950s and 1960s classics, Japanese culture became part of global pop culture, and many Western artists began seeking inspiration for their work in Japanese or Oriental motifs (George Lucas finding inspiration for Star Wars in Hidden Fortress is the best-known example). However, Kurosawa didn’t just popularise Japanese culture for the outside world – he took cultural exchange more seriously, and many of his best-known works feature distinctly Western themes in a Japanese setting. One such example is Shakespeare plays being set in medieval Japan. Kurosawa made two such films in two different phases of his career. Kumonosu Jo, known either as Cobweb Castle or Throne of Blood, was made in 1957 and its script was based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The plot begins with a rebellion against Kuniharu Tsuzuki (played by Takamaru Sasaki), a powerful warlord and master of the unapproachable Cobweb Castle. When all seems lost, Tsuzuki is saved by the bravery of his two top lieutenants and best friends – Taketori Washizu (played by Toshiro Mifune) and Yoshiaki Miki (played by Minoru Chiaki). Before they arrive at Tsuzuki’s castle to receive their reward for their deeds, they must pass through Cobweb Forest, and there they stumble upon a mysterious witch (played by Chieko Naniwa). She foretells their future – both Washizu and Miki’s son will become new masters of Tsuzuki’s castle. Washizu is sceptical at first, but when the prophecy starts to unravel he becomes restless and nervous, not knowing how to reconcile his loyalty and growing ambition. His wife Asajo (played by Isuzu Yamada) begins to use this sentiment and gradually leads Washizu towards the treacherous murder of his master. As a result, Washizu becomes the new master of Cobweb Castle, but he is not at peace with himself, because the other part of the prophecy – the ascension of Miki’s son Yoshiteru (played by Akira Kubo) – hasn’t been fulfilled yet. Washizu’s growing paranoia and desire to prevent destiny would lead to an inevitable and bloody conflict with his best friend.
Throne of Blood has the misfortune of being put in the same basket as other pieces of Kurosawa’s opus, usually better critically acclaimed or more popular than it. This film, shot in black and white and in a 1:33 aspect ratio, lacks the splendour of Kurosawa’s latter-day samurai epics like Kagemusha and Ran; on the other hand, it also lacks the down-to-earth realism and humour present in Kurosawa’s most popular ‘jidai-geki’ films like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. Taken out of the context of Kurosawa’s magnum opus, Throne of Blood is a fine piece of filmmaking. Kurosawa knows how to use empty Mount Fuji locations to create an atmosphere of doom and hopelessness which is perfect for this Shakespearean tragedy. The actors are also quite fine – Toshiro Mifune’s neurotic character is perfectly paired with Isuzu Yamada, whose face, covered in white make-up, hides any sign of emotion, making her Japanese version of Lady Macbeth creepier than most similar characters in the history of cinema. However, her creepiness can’t be compared to Chieko Naniwa’s truly frightening performance as an evil spirit/witch of unidentifiable gender.
But despite all of that, all those who expect something in the class of Seven Samurai would be a little bit disappointed. For example, apart from Washizu and Asajo, none of the other characters is fleshed out; the great Takeshi Shimura, who played such a great role in Seven Samurai, is barely recognisable and appears for a few brief moments. The reason for that is perhaps Kurosawa’s desire to be as faithful as possible to Shakespeare’s original; in the process he failed to bring something new and original to the text. Despite the new Japanese setting, this version of Macbeth looks artificial and theatrical. Furthermore, Kurosawa makes another mistake in prolonging certain scenes up to the point when even the patience of his most loyal fans is tested. Those fans, as well as other viewers, might in the end be rewarded with an extremely long, brutal and unforgettable death scene that is the only truly remarkable and recognisable moment of this film.
All in all, despite being technically a very good piece of ‘jidai-geki’ or Shakespeare adaptation on its own, Throne of Blood is a slightly disappointing film that could be truly enjoyed only by the most enthusiastic Kurosawa fans, able to appreciate the Great Master even when he is not at his best.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 5th 2001)
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Movie URL:https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/3777-kumonosu-j?language=en-US
Critic: AA
