Throne of Blood (1957)

Original title

蜘蛛巣城

Directed by

Akira Kurosawa

Genre

drama film, samurai cinema

Country

Japan

Runtime

1h 45m

Rated

M

Rating

7.9 of 10 from 992 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A samurai warrior is tempted by a prophecy to betray his lord and seize the throne. His ambition is fueled by his cold and calculating wife, leading to a spiral of paranoia and violence.

tensebleakslow-burnatmosphericclaustrophobicsomberrelentlessaustere

What happens

Throne of Blood (Japanese: 蜘蛛巣城, Hepburn: Kumonosu-jō; lit. 'The Spider Web Castle') is a 1957 Japanese epic jidaigeki film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film transposes the plot of English dramatist William Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1606) from Medieval Scotland to feudal Japan, with stylistic elements drawn from Noh drama. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Isuzu Yamada in the lead roles, modelled on the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Like the play, the film tells the story of a warrior who assassinates his sovereign at the urging of his ambitious wife. Kurosawa was a fan of the play and intended to make his own adaptation for several years, delaying it after learning of Orson Welles' Macbeth (1948). Among his changes was the ending, which required archers to shoot arrows around Mifune. The film was shot around Mount Fuji and Izu Peninsula. With a budget of US$350,000 (equivalent to $4,012,000 in 2025), the film was one of the most expensive films ever made in Japan at the time of its release. Despite the change in setting and language and numerous creative liberties, Throne of Blood is often considered one of the best film adaptations of the classic play, and has received much critical praise. The film won two Mainichi Film Awards, including Best Actor for Toshiro Mifune. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Black River (1957)
• Dai-bosatsu tōge (1957)
• Yojimbo (1961)
• Harakiri (1962)
• Samurai Rebellion (1967)
• A Dangerous Hero (1957)
• Night Drum (1958)
• Seven Samurai (1954)