Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood

If we lose the words, do we lose Shakespeare?

Even without reading the subtitles, it would be quite easy for those who know the story of Macbeth to piece together the imagery of the ‘Scottish play.’  Many scenes in the play are very similar to their English equivalents. Such scenes include the bloody soldiers’ reports to the Duncan character, Asaji, unable to cleanse her hands of blood, and Spider Web Forest approaching Washizu’s castle in substitution for Dunsinane.

How has the film been marketed, relative to Shakespeare’s cultural iconicity?

This film adheres strongly to the story of Macbeth.  It seems as though the film sells itself as Shakespeare’s play relocated to a different time and place; in this case, ancient Japan.  The decision to include such iconic scenes as the ones aforementioned indicates that the director was appealing strongly to the audience’s recognition of such scenes in their classical context.  In doing this, one becomes conscious one is watching Shakespeare while experiencing its new, exciting representation.

A non-English language film, what unique insights are offered by this particular cross-cultural inter-textuality?

The film strongly conveys military as a theme throughout.  Rather than appealing to his emotions, Asaji persuades Washizu to kill the Great Lord as a strategical, preemptive strike.  She insults his militaristic understanding just as Lady Macbeth accuses her husband of lacking masculinity.  Another unique aspect in the film is the representation of the witches as an evil spirit who dwells in the wood spinning wool.  

How does the film reflect the inspiring text, both overtly and subtly?

The story in Throne of Blood is quite overtly a representation of Macbeth, and the same essential plot points are reproduced with relatively little variance from the original.  However, there are subtle references to the text as well. The Macbeth character Washizu, for instance, comments on the weather before meeting the witch, a reference to the ‘foul and fair’ comment in the original.  Also, the disquiet of the birds before the Duncan character’s death is another subtle reference to the bad omens which occur in the original text.  The bird imagery is even repeated in Throne of Blood before Washizu’s demise as the new Great Lord. This is a logical and thematic use of repetition which is absent in the original text. 

How does this film position Shakespeare culturally, both in overt statements and subtle implications?

The film was, in itself, a commentary about the ability of Shakespeare’s stories to transcend languages, time, and cultures.  It also positioned Macbeth as a very militaristic story, rejecting many (but not all) of the emotional contexts that are more frequently exploited in traditional performances.  By setting the story as a tale of war, Akira Kurosawa was able to represent Shakespeare’s play not only in his preferred era and location, but, conceivably, in any context where a military is present. 

How does the film exemplify the issues raised in readings about Shakespeare?

One reading from this course talked about the question frequently posed of Shakespeare films: ‘Is it Shakespeare?’.  While Throne of Blood is certainly a story of Japanese warlords, it is undoubtedly a sound representation of Macbeth.  The film violently opposes the concept of Bardolatry and a universal, timeless Shakespeare.  By incorporating traditions from his own culture (evil spirits, samurai, Japanese ceremonies, etc), Kurosawa is able to defy the English tradition of Shakespeare, while strongly maintaining the heart of the play. 

How does this film reflect the issues discussed of Shakespeare?

This film is a fantastic representation of the idea of Glocal Shakespeare.  Akira Kurosawa was able to translate the tale of Macbeth and reinsert it into the context of his own culture through the heavy use of military in the play.  Because military is, literally, a global concept, the play was easily adapted to fit Kurosawa’s popular Samurai genre.