The greatness of “Throne of Blood” lies in its complex approach to telling its story.
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To say that "Throne of Blood" is Akira Kurosawa´s Japanese adaptation of William Shakespeare´s "Macbeth" is to say that George Orwell´s "Animal Farm" is about pigs who lead a revolt against cruel human masters. Sure, those statements are correct, but they only scratch the surfaces of what "Throne of Blood" and "Animal Farm" really are. Like "Ran" (Kurosawa´s take on "King Lear"), "Throne of Blood" also functions as a study of Japanese artistic forms, a study of Japanese history, and a study of the universality of narrative molds.
The movie begins and ends with cameras panning across a foggy, barren wasteland set to ominous chanting by a chorus of men. These bookends set the tone for "Throne of Blood"; like with "Ran", we see the fruits of years of labor utterly destroyed in a matter of moments. Actions and events hurtle characters towards nothing-ness. The film´s bleakness and pessimism direct our attention to the circularity of violence--of how humans engage in destructive behavior repeatedly as if we enjoy wreaking pain and sorrow on ourselves.
In "Throne of Blood", Washizu (Toshiro Mifune) becomes his warlord master´s right-hand man when he successfully defends the master´s territories against hostile forces. While on the way to a reception in their honor, Washizu and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) get lost in a forest in which they meet a witch (Chieko Naniwa). The witch prophesizes that Washizu will become the lord of Spider´s Web Castle and that Miki will become the commander of the Castle´s First Fortress. These are promotions that hint that Washizu will betray his master and give Miki his own post in return for the latter´s silence.
As is the case so often in literature when characters have knowledge about future events (i.e. Oedipus´s father), Washizu and Miki are disturbed by rather than happy with the news of their future success. Indeed, the knowledge that he will one day rule Spider´s Web Castle compels Washizu and Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), his wife, to plot the assassination of their master. When Washizu becomes the lord of Spider´s Web Castle, he begins to suspect Miki´s loyalty. After all, Washizu and Asaji don´t have children of their own, and the witch in the forest also foretold that Miki´s son would become the eventual lord of Spider´s Web Castle. Therefore, Washizu turns on Miki, and his increasingly violent and erratic actions results in civil war.
Yes, "Throne of Blood" is unmistakably an adaptation of Shakespeare´s "Macbeth". Yet, Kurosawa was able to make the story his own. For example, several of the film´s qualities remind viewers of the Japanese Noh drama form. The actors´ faces seem to be frozen in particular exaggerated expressions, as if they were wearing masks like Noh performers. In one dinner scene, one of Washizu´s guests even does a traditional Japanese slow song-and-dance act. (Washizu ends up silencing the poor fellow because his song is about a warrior who betrays his master; the performer doesn´t know that his song hits too close to home for Washizu and Asaji.) Another Asian element in "Throne of Blood" is the conflation of sexual identity. For example, we can´t tell if the witch is a man or a woman. Likewise, Asaji challenges Washizu´s masculinity when she calls him a coward and a lackey when he hesitates to kill his master. Asaji then assumes the role of the man (in terms of traditional Japanese cultural values) by becoming the aggressor and killing Washizu´s master. In a sense, then, Washizu becomes less of a man than his wife because he is unable to kill given a moment of self-doubt (something that men aren´t supposed to do in Asian societies).
Throughout his career, Kurosawa made movies that are highly-accessible by non-Japanese audiences. For example, "Yojimbo" became the inspiration for Sergio Leone´s "The Man With No Name" films starring Clint Eastwood (and even the Bruce Willis vehicle "Last Man Standing"), and "The Seven Samurai" was adapted as "The Magnificent Seven". Believe it or not, "The Hidden Fortress", set in 16th-Century Japan, was the inspiration for George Lucas´s "Star Wars: Episode IV--A New Hope". Of course, there are the Shakespeare adaptations, "Throne of Blood" and "Ran". Both are excellent examples of how general themes and ideas develop along similar lines all over the world. For example, both films´ examinations of the feudal system in medieval Japan reveal how similar socio-political systems developed on different continents.
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