Smoreni Zmaj
"Kumonosu-jo" is Kurosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth", placed in samurai Japan. This is the first Kurosawa's movie I saw and probably next-to-last. I will see one more, because I can't write off the man based on one movie only, but if next one is like this one I'm giving up on Kurosawa. "Macbeth" is good story, you can easily get used to Japanese over-acting, but the way Kurosawa stretches out every scene to last forever is something I can't get used to. It is a fact that every cadre is work of art, but if I wanted to watch each cadre five minutes I would go to the photo exhibition, not the cinema. Two riders ride through mist in complete silence for full three minutes. No dialogue, no body language, just two silhouettes in the fog. And so every scene. The film could easily be cut in half without a scene being thrown out. The cultural differences of the East and the West are story for themselves in which objectivity does not play any role. Armored samurai, with the lower part of pajamas and ridiculous helmets, look like clowns rather than soldiers. And the music played during opening credits is terrible creaking that made my ears bleed. I read some texts about this film that helped me understand it better and to some extent I understand why it is considered a big movie, but even that did not make me like it. My subjective impression is4/10
CinemaClown
Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth may feature a different setting but it keeps the context & essence of its source of inspiration entirely in tact, and is arguably the finest adaptation of the famous play on the film canvas. A fascinating meditation on the corrupting nature of greed & power, the film retains its effectiveness even today.Set in feudal Japan, the story of Throne of Blood follows a war general who, en route to his lord's castle, encounters a spirit who foretells him his near-future. When part of the prediction turns out to be true, he hesitates to fulfil the remaining prophecy at first but is eventually spurred into action by his ambitious wife, which in turn sets them on a path to destruction & madness.Co-written & directed by Akira Kurosawa (best known for Ikiru & Seven Samurai), Throne of Blood may have shifted the well-known plot to a different timeline & location but it is the Shakespearean tragedy right down to the bone. Kurosawa's direction is top-notch, for he follows the events quite faithfully yet manages to give the film an identity of his own with his creative & stylistic choices.Both the depicted era & Spider's Web castle is illustrated in fine detail. The greyscale photography is sharp & crisply captures the unfolding events. Editing is firmly carried out and steadily paces the narrative although a few moments could've used little trims. Music exudes a haunting vibe. And the performances from the entire cast is strong, especially Toshirô Mifune whose formidable act ranks amongst his finest.On an overall scale, Throne of Blood is a terrific adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy despite the many liberties it takes with the original, and is one classic that has effortlessly endured the test of time. Visually striking, narratively engaging & employing its minimalist approach to great effect, it ranks high on both Kurosawa's filmography & Shakespeare's film adaptations and will satisfy fans of both with ease. Definitely recommended.
WILLIAM FLANIGAN
Viewed on DVD. Restoration = ten (10) stars. Ultimately over time a film stands or falls on its own merits, and not by high jacking the acclaim of its source material(s). This movie is yet another case study of the dangers associated with parasitic piggy backing. The script is co-written by the director, and is confusing and lacks polish (script traits usually exhibited when the director is one of two authors or the sole author). Acting by the lead male actor is mostly confined to grimaces (he looks like he needs a root canal operation due to all the scenery he has chewed on). The lead female actress employs an acting style consisting of monotonic line readings and a mask-like, unchanging facial expression. The real co-stars are the costumes which are spectacular (too bad the film was not shot in color), and in-camera special effects (especially the arrow showers at the film's end). Sets are OK, but exterior long shots of "castles" show structures that are far removed from restored/rebuilt castles of the period on view in Japan today. (Perhaps impoverished exterior sets are a result of budgetary constraints?) Subtitles are a bit long and often abrupt. Film score is fine. A highly not recommended film experience. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
jacobjohntaylor1
This is based on the classic play Macbeth. It changed so that in takes place at the same time Macbeth was supposed to save taken place. But instead of being about Scotland it is about Japan. This is a classic horror story. It has a great story line. It also has great acting. It also has great special effects. It is very scary. It got an 8.1 which is good rating. But it is such a great film that 8.1 is underrating it. I give it 10 out of 10 because it is a awesome movie. It is one of the best horror movies ever. This about an evil emperor of Japan who gets supernatural powers from spirits. The is a great movie see it. Macbeth (1948) is better. But still this a great movie. It is a must see.
AD
