They say that all productions of Shakespeare's "Scottish
Play" are cursed to failure, but that certainly hasn't stopped
any number of filmmakers from trying to adapt it for the screen
anyway. Akira Kurosawa found that his best approach was to simply
remove the story from Scotland and transplant it into feudal Japan.
The result is perhaps one of the best adaptations of Macbeth put to
film, not because it is the most faithful (Shakespeare certainly never
imagined his characters played as samurai), but because Kurosawa gives
the material a life of its own and makes the best movie out of it.
Throne of Blood faces criticism on two fronts, both as an
adaptation of Shakespeare and in comparison to Kurosawa's own Seven
Samurai, released just three years prior. Yet the director chose to
incorporate neither the lyrical language of the former nor the
sweeping action spectacle of the latter. Instead, he imposes the
conventions of Noh drama onto the story, a decidedly Japanese dramatic
format known for its stylized theatrics. Superstar actor Toshiro
Mifune stars as Washizu (the Macbeth stand-in) and is directed into a
very reserved, formalized performance that often calls for him to hold
facial expressions in imitation of common Noh character masks. His
wife Asaji (actress Isuzu Yamada) remains almost totally still and
expressionless throughout, delivering one of the most chilling and
intense female performances ever captured on film. All of the
basic plotting and themes of Shakespeare's play are here, stripped
down to the bare essentials. We have the betrayal, the paranoia, the
madness and the scheming. Lady Washizu's cunning manipulations of her
husband's emotions are everything the Bard himself could have wanted
from the role. Perhaps some elements have been a bit too much
compressed, and the film works best when one already has at least a
basic understanding of the workings of Macbeth. But the overall
result, when combined with the director's use of stark imagery and
dense symbolism, is a fascinating, compellingly watchable blend that
is distinctively the work of Kurosawa and yet stands its own ground
aside from his other famous samurai pictures. The film's climax, with
its striking death scene, will long be remembered as one of the most
indelible images in film history. Kurosawa isn't known as the greatest
Japanese filmmaker for nothing. Throne of Blood is essential viewing
for fans of his work and lovers of all great cinema.
Video:
How Does The Disc Look? 
Throne of Blood was released in
1957 and, as is unfortunately common for Japanese films from that time
period, was never properly stored or preserved. Criterion has done
their best to give the movie a sparkling digital overhaul, but there
is no denying that it still looks like an old film.
Presented
in the original 1.33:1 black & white, there are many sections of
the video transfer that look amazingly crisp and clean. There are also
many parts that are noticeably worn down or damaged. The opening
scenes have a thick layer of grain that has not interacted well with
the need for digital compression, resulting in uncomfortable patterns
of noise in the image. Other scenes in the movie exhibit visible film
damage such as scratches, dirt, or the rare splice. On the other hand,
gray scale is perfectly rendered and the picture has an excellent
sense of detail with no artificial edge enhancement. The contrast
range looks good for a film of this age, although it never hits the
deep, rich blacks we might see in a more recent production.
It
is obvious that much dirt and damage has been cleaned up, and the
overall impression is of an admirable presentation for the movie. When
projected on a large screen, what it looks like is the type of well-
kept film print you might see in a better repertory theater. This is
certainly the best that I've seen the movie look, either on video or
on film, but due to the inherent limitations of the source material it
may never be perfect.
Audio: How Does The Disc
Sound? 
This is as good as it's going to get, folks. The
Dolby 1.0 mono track is perfectly faithful to its source recording,
which is to say that it has all of the limitations of a Japanese film
from the 50's. Dialogue sounds very flat and compressed, and dynamic
range is quite constrained. The drum beat during the opening credits
is as deep as the bass will ever extend and the high end often sounds
quite shrill, especially the flutes on the soundtrack. The audio has
been cleansed of all hiss and pops, thankfully, and this is most
evident during the movie's many periods of eerie silences, which
require such precision in the audio restoration. Despite the drawbacks
of its age, the movie should be watched at a fairly loud volume in
order to best appreciate the nuances of Lady Washizu's whispered
dialogue and its effect on her husband's decisions.
Two
different English subtitle tracks have been provided, each from a
different translation. In the accompanying booklet, translators Linda
Hoaglund and Donald Richie explain their rationale for the choices
they have made. The two tracks are vastly different from one another,
both in the style of language and occasionally in the information
actually being conveyed. Of the two, I much preferred Richie's
translation, although he does have a frustrating habit of leaving some
incidental lines of dialogue untranslated. Hoaglund is more consistent
in this respect, but she has chosen a style of language using modern
slang that feels inappropriate to the material.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
The audio
commentary by Japanese film expert (and Criterion regular) Michael
Jeck is a riot. I love this guy; he is knowledgeable, informative and
has a witty sense of humor. Among the topics discussed are the film's
influences, Japanese cultural references, and Kurosawa's method of
adapting and changing Shakespeare. The track is a great listen and
will surely enhance one's appreciation for the film.
The only
other video supplement is a battered theatrical trailer that
reminds us of just how good a job Criterion has done with the video
transfer for the movie. Included in the disc case is a booklet with a
nice essay about the film by Stephen Prince and, as mentioned earlier,
notes on the two different subtitle translations.
DVD-ROM
Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting
Thoughts
Another deserving classic gets the Criterion
treatment, and they rarely disappoint. Supplemental content may be a
bit thin this time around, but the video transfer looks about as good
as a film of this vintage probably ever will. The commentary is also
worth a listen. This disc is an excellent candidate for purchase.
Top Sellers 
