Criterion Collection: Throne of Blood
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- Released
- 27/05/2003
- Film and TV Genre
- Arthouse, Foreign
- Video Format
- NTSC
- DVD Region
- 1 (will only play on Region 1 and Multi-Region DVD players)
Description
Macbeth is reimagined as a samurai in feudal Japan in director Akira Kurosawa's classic adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy. Familiar with Orson Welles's more faithful adaptation, Kurosawa chose to place a more personal stamp on his version by translating the events and characters to historical Japan. The equivalent of the tragic Scottish lord is Taketoki Washizu (Toshiro Mifune), a valiant warrior whose life is transformed by an encounter with a ghostly female spirit. The spirit offers several predictions, finally stating that Washizu will rise to power over the current warlord. When these predictions begin coming true, he and his ambitious wife decide to ensure his ascendancy to power by murdering the current ruler. As with Macbeth, Washizu achieves his goal, but his guilt and the suspicions of others soon bring about his downfall. The shift to Japanese settings is seamless, creating a historically accurate and resonant work with a culturally distinct visual style. The supporting performances also recall Japanese tradition, particularly Isuzu Yamada's creepily unemotional take on Lady Macbeth, while Mifune proves consistently gripping in the sheer intensity of his performance. The intelligence of Kurosawa's alterations retains the drama's tragic impact, especially during the conclusion, in which Washizu makes a memorable final stand against an advancing army. Impressive in every regard, Throne of Blood seems secure in the pantheon of superior film adaptations of William Shakespeare.
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Product Details
- Actors
- Director
- Akira Kurosawa
- Series
- Criterion Collection
- Disc Features
- Interactive Menus
- Scene Selection
- Theatrical Trailer
- Audio Format
- English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital
- Year of release
- 1957
- Aspect Ratio
- 1.33:1
- Disc Layers
- 1
- Number of Discs
- 1
- Label / Studio
- CRITERION COLLECTION
- Run Time (minutes)
- 109
- Media Format
- DVD-Video
- Subtitle Language
- English
- Cast & Crew
- Hideo Oguni (Screenwriter)
- Ryuzo Kikushima (Screenwriter)
- Shinobu Hashimoto (Screenwriter)
- William Shakespeare (Story)
- Akira Kurosawa (Screenwriter)
Additional Information
- Alternate Subtitle Translations
- Audio Commentary - 1. Michael Jeck - Japanese Film Scholar
- Essay - 1. Kurosawa Piece by Stephen Prince - Film Scholar
- Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
Tracklisting
Disc 1:
-
I Love to Sing
-
Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
-
They Can't Take That Away from Me
-
Taking a Chance On Love
-
Ain't We Got Fun?
-
You Do Something to Me
-
Today I Love Ev'rybody
-
Cheek to Cheek
-
If This Isn't Love
-
As Time Goes By
-
Comes Love
-
Blue Skies
-
With You in Mind
-
I Dream of You More Than You Dream I Do
-
Let's Fall in Love
-
Fly Me to the Moon
-
My Heart Stood Still
-
But Beautiful
-
You'll Never Know
-
All I Do Is Dream of You
-
What Is There to Say?
-
Don't Blame Me
-
Falling in Love with Love
-
More I See You
-
When I Fall in Love
