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The Criterion Collection

Throne of Blood [Blu-ray]

Based on 605 reviews
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Arrives Wednesday, Nov 11
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At a glance

Condition
New
Dimensions
0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 in; 3.84 oz
Genre
Action & Adventure
Format
Blu-ray, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Language
English
Runtime
1 hour and 49 minutes
MPAA rating
NR (Not Rated)

Description

A vivid, visceral MacBeth adaptation, Throne of Blood, directed by Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai), sets Shakespeare's definitive tale of ambition and duplicity in a ghostly, fog-enshrouded landscape in feudal Japan. As a tough warrior who rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo) gives a remarkable, animalistic performance, as does Isuzu Yamada (Black River) as his ruthless wife. Throne of Blood fuses classical Western tragedy with formal elements taken from Noh theater to create an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Specs 15

Genre Action & Adventure
Format Blu-ray, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Contributor Akira Kurosawa, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, Toshiro Mifune
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 49 minutes
MPAA rating NR (Not Rated)
Product Dimensions 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 3.84 ounces
Item model number 2525

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Top Amazon Reviews

One of Kurosawa's best, and the Criterion version is excellent.
I couldn't possibly pick a single favorite Kurosawa film, but Throne of Blood is definitely in the top two or three. First, regarding the movie itself, the acting, costumes, action sequences and cinematography are all top notch. It contains stunning visuals, such as the pervasive fog-enshrouded landscape, the spirit in the woods and the final sequence with the moving forest. Furthermore, Kurosawa is still unmatched when it comes to filming a large army on the move, as is seen more than once in Throne of Blood (and later in Ran). Toshiro Mifune gives a visceral and energetic performance as Washizu (essentially Macbeth), but perhaps the most memorable role is played by Isuzu Yamada as Asaji (Lady Macbeth), who, in spite of her limited screen time, is chilling and unforgettable due her ruthlessness, emotional detachment, and pessimistic view of human nature. Like the best Kurosawa films, it's also thematically interesting, especially with its exploration of the paranoia that comes from power, leading to a circle of violence springing from the idea of killing your potential rival before they decide to kill you. The Criterion Blu-Ray is also great. The picture is clear, and the sound is as good as can be expected for being monaural. I also found the extras very interesting, especially the essay relating to the difficulties of subtitling Japanese films. The film also includes two separate English subtitle options to reveal the subjectivity of this process. As an occasional translator of Spanish and Portuguese texts I found this fascinating. Throne of Blood is definitely worth having in your collection if you’re a fan of Shakespeare adaptations, Kurosawa, or good drama films in general. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2017 by Dallas Fawson
Macbeth in Feudal Japan
A fantastic adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in Feudal Japan, but with a Kurosawa twist: unlike the play that wraps everything up neatly with the coronation of Malcolm, Throne of Blood ends in chaos. It's a great film; can't recommend it enough for Kurosawa fans or Shakespeare fans.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2021 by Steve Woosley
Christmas gift for my son
Ordered this for my son he was VERY pleased. He said it was the version he had been searching. Great picture quality and English subtitles.
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2022 by misty
Great movie.
The movie is fantastic, and the blu-ray quality is great.
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2021 by Amazon Customer
Great
Great
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2019 by Johnny's
Five Stars
Classic
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2018 by Soraaka
A Slow Burn Macbeth with Samurai!
Akira Kurosawa’s war epic Throne of Blood (1957) is a mystical retelling of William Shakespeare’s legendary play Macbeth. This time arming Macbeth with a katana and spear, Kurosawa finds anxiety, paranoia, delirium, and haunting magic within Macbeth as he turns a period drama into a Japanese horror fable. I still prefer Orson Welles’ classic film adaptation of Macbeth, but Akira Kurosawa makes Macbeth his own haunting playground with Throne of Blood. I cannot overstate how much I love and appreciate Kurosawa’s direction for Throne of Blood with haunting atmosphere brought about by fog filled forests and eerie spaces of isolation. Whether characters are aimlessly riding horseback, wandering through the forest on foot, or pacing back and forth in their room, Throne of Blood is rife with suspense. I was riveted by the tension of decisions that must be made and the striking ghostly appearance. Kurosawa’s direction is compelling to the bittersweet end. I really found Asakazu Nakai’s cinematography for Throne of Blood striking. The ultra wide shots of horses galloping full speed across dark fields or sprinting through fog in the forest to be wonderfully haunting. Let Throne of Blood enshroud you in a chilling fog of nightmares and destiny. Masanori Kobayashi’s make-up is excellent, especially for Toshiro Mifune in his gaunt getup. Yoshiro Muraki’s samurai costumes are as cool as feudal era Japan outfits get. From layered armor, individualized flags, ornate swords, minimalist sets, and decorative kimonos, Throne of Blood visually has it all. Macbeth really is all about choice. No one makes him commit atrocities, yet he does them because he heard a prophecy. Macbeth is the quintessential example of a self fulfilling prophecy as he continually chooses the path of violence, greed, and cruelty all while screaming about the disloyalty of others. He commits regicide and still feigns virtue. Here, the raving Toshiro Mifune is perfectly cast as the mad Macbeth stand-in Taketori Washizu. His brutal antics and brooding plotting is fun to watch. Mifune is always funny as he plays eccentric characters, but in Throne of Blood he twists his manic energy into one of hellish deviousnesses with a penchant for deception. His shocked faces and yells during the arrow finale is just something else. I really enjoyed Isuzu Yamada as Lady Asaji Washizu. Her Lady Macbeth portrayal is cold and calculating instead of raving mad with desires of ambition. Her depiction is full of quiet, subtle moments to convince Mifune to act out his murderous scheme. Akira Kubo is interesting as Mifune’s partner in crime Yoshiteru Miki. His nonchalance in conspiring to regicide is just a lecherous as Washizu’s part in his murder plot. Takashi Shimura has a nice supporting role as Noriyasu Odagura. His brilliant plan to camouflage their army in shrubbery, foliage, and entire trees leads to the coolest imagery of Mifune looking out the window to moving trees coming for him. Samurais charging will always be cool imagery, but lethargically shifting trees with clear forward momentum is just striking filmmaking. I wish Throne of Blood had better music instead of a slightly annoying flute melody to go above the lackluster classical score from Masaru Sato. If Sato had composed more music for underneath some of the drier scenes, Throne of Blood might have felt less of a drag to get through. Far too much of Throne of Blood is left empty in silence, which just isn’t that fun or contemplative as there’s not that much ambient sounds here either. So I must mention that Throne of Blood is one of Akira Kurosawa’s slowest films. It’s clearly deliberate on Kurosawa’s part as editor because characters are anxiously awaiting for news from the battlefield or the whereabouts of their foes. However, I have to be completely honest and say that Throne of Blood meanders a lot more than Kurosawa’s other features. You get lots of edits of actors riding horses across fields and wandering around the woods. This is genuinely creepy and builds atmosphere, but it could have been more tightly edited by Kurosawa without having long shots that linger far too long. The slow song that the evil spirit sings is embarrassingly slow much like the long-winded opening announcing the battle was won. For being 108 minutes, Throne of Blood feels twice that length unlike Kurosawa’s other briskly paced films. Throne of Blood is impressively directed and crafted, but I find Kurosawa’s pacing here to not hold up to contemporary standards. So, I would recommend Throne of Blood for fans of unorthodox Shakespeare adaptations and samurai film fans, but the average movie-goer might fall asleep before getting to the ghostly prophet, let alone the fantastic arrow riddled finale. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019 by Matthew D'Souza
Classic film for your collection. More than just MacBeth reskin.
Masterpiece by the acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa. This is based on McBeth, but it very much feels like it's own story set in 15th century Japan. It's about betrayal and the hierarchy of power, and the choices it makes one make. Mifune is great in it, really works the armor and costumes and gives a great performance. The sets and scenes are perfect mix of real locations and fanciful theater play style sets. This one is a terrific addition to any samurai film buff's collection. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019 by Vlad O. Dumitrascu
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