Throne of Blood (Kumonoso jo, 1957)
Kurosawa Akira
Japan
108 mins, black and white, Japanese (English subtitles)
This is AK's interpretation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," but unlike his version of "King Lear" (RAN), this one sadly misses the point of the original play. Don't get me wrong, this film is superb in terms of cinematography, acting, music, costumes, and editing. But the way Kurosawa changed the plot renders the whole story a rather dubious narrative.
There are some very atmospheric scenes that showcase Kurosawa's absolute mastery of the medium. For example, when Washizu (Mifune) and Miki (Chiuaki) ride around in the fog trying to get out of the magic forest and find the castle, is very pretty and not a bit tiresome despite the fact that it lasts over a minute. The final epic sequence where Washizu is literally riddled with arrows, including one straight through his neck (in full view), is nothing short of amazing. Even in this age of special effects one still wonders how Kurosawa managed to achieve such frightening realism.
Now for the bad part. Whether intentionally or not, Kurosawa altered several key scenes from the original play and basically destroyed the motivation of the main character. In THRONE OF BLOOD, Washizu is NOT Macbeth because he is misled by the devious arguments of his wife Asaji (Yamada) more than he is driven by his lust of power. In fact, the lady is so evil here (something we see again in RAN) that her madness in the end is not believable. Unlike Lady Macbeth, who goes crazy trying to wash the nonexistent blood from her hands, Asaji has no reason to go insane. There is absolutely no development in the story to make this part stick. She is cold, calculating, remorseless, and even bloodthirsty, at least in Kurosawa's version. Thus, the excellent scene with the insane Asaji and the doomed Washizu is a beautiful piece of Noh theater, but is completely unmotivated by the story.
Similarly, Washizu seems to be driven to action by his fear that his friend Miki might tell their Lord about the encounter with the Witch and thereby jeopardize Washizu's standing or even future. Despite the solemn proclamations of the choir at the beginning and the end of the movie, and despite the claims of the Witch, it is not the lust of power that drives the main hero but the (quite rational) desire for preventive action. It is perhaps unfortunate that Washizu cannot trust Miki but then again, in this violent culture, trust can not be taken for granted. Washizu is thus motivated by rational calculations and there's no room for the internal struggles that Macbeth has to go through, there's no room for deliverance, and there's even no room for revenge. Kurosawa must have realized this last point when he had Washizu shot by his own troops, a markedly different ending.
All in all, a beautiful film (Mifune is great as usual), but if you want a coherent story and a faithful adaptation of "Macbeth," get the superb Polanski version.
March 19, 2001. BLS