Throne of Blood (1957)

Title: Throne of Blood
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Genre: Samurai
Highs: Arrow filled finale.
Lows: Drags in the fog too much.
RhynoBot Grade: B

I love me mines samurai movies, specially when it's the masters of samurai Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. Throne of Blood is Kurosawa's vision of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in feudal Japan. But having never read nor seen Macbeth the similarity to Shakespeare's tragedy was lost on me. The movie opens with the Great Lord of Spider's Web Castle under sedge at his outer most fortresses. The odds are against his men but two officers Washizu (Mifune) and Miki (Chiaki) at the fortresses take charge and overrun the opposing forces. The Great Lord calls the two officers to his court to be commended for such a display of courage and strategy. On the way to the castle the two officers are side tracked by an evil spirit that prognosticates that as of that night both men will be promoted by the Great Lord, Washizu will one day be the Great Lord himself, and Miki's son will succeed Washizu as Great Lord. The spirits prediction comes to pass, both men are promoted to higher ranks that night. Unsettled by the spirits further predictions, Washizu discusses with his wife how it would be possible for the second half of the prediction to come to pass. Washizu's wife convinces him that Miki is plotting against him with the Great Lord and the only way to survive is to strike first before the Great Lord has a chance to kill him assuring the spirits prediction does not come to pass. Washizu listens to his wife and self fulfills the spirits prophecy by killing the Great Lord and claiming the throne. Shrouded in guilt Washizu slowly descends into madness, fearing conspiracies and plots against him by his men and especially Miki. Again moved by his now pregnant wife's urging, Washizu sends the order to kill Miki and his son on the eve of naming Miki's son as his heir. Here Washizu's decent into madness is solidified as he is the only one seeing the spirit of Miki at the declaration ceremony. But Miki's son lives and joins forces with the loyal men of the former Great Lord to defeat Washizu. A final confrontation between Washizu and Miki's son is eminent. Washizu's men finally seeing their lord is completely mad turn on him in a final dramatic scene complete with a maelstrom of arrows being shot at Washizu. In the end no one wins, all are defeated, thus is the nature of man as the forest spirit predicted.

This film is not one of Kurosawa's best but is distinctly Kurosawa in imagery and intensity. The scenes with the forest spirit is perfectly creepy as well as the scene where Miki's ghost appears to Washizu. Toshiro Mifune is as always the highest caliber of actor. Mifune's decent into madness is unparalleled even today - it is one of his specialties. The film dragged in spots especially in the beginning when Washizu and Miki were trying to get to the castle. They were lost in the forest then were bogged down in fog and could not find the way. I understand the need for the scene to set up evens later in the final confrontation but I think we got the point after 10 minutes, did it really need to drag on for 20 minutes? That's my only complaint.

Otherwise - It's a good film, you should see it.