ThroneofBlood/CobwebCastle/CastleoftheSpider’sWeb/
Kumonosu-jo(1957)AkiraKurosawa
PMichellSept2016
A vivid, visceral Macbeth adaptation, Throne of Blood, directed by Akira
Kurosawa, sets Shakespeare’s definitive tale of ambition and duplicity in a
ghostly, fog-enshrouded landscape in feudal Japan. As a hardened warrior who
rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune gives a remarkable, animalistic
performance, as does Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife. Throne of Blood fuses
classical Western tragedy with formal elements taken from Noh theatre to create
an unforgettable cinematic experience.
Considered to be even more superior than Rashomon (1950). Many consider
this to be one of the best interpretations of Shakespeare on film. Once seen
many scenes will be remembered for quite some time.
Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) and Toshiro Mifune (1920-1997) collaborated on 16
films together (1948-1965). (Mifune made 170 films including some in English
including the TV series Shogun.) Then thirty years of separation. It has been
argued that the director’s best films were made during this time.
MifunefirstencountereddirectorAkiraKurosawawhenTohoStudios,thelargest
filmproductioncompanyinJapan,wasconductingamassivetalentsearch(1947),
duringwhichhundredsofaspiringactorsauditionedbeforeateamofjudges.
Kurosawawasoriginallygoingtoskiptheevent,butshowedupwhenanactresshe
knewtoldhimofoneactorwhoseemedespeciallypromising.Kurosawalaterwrote
thatheenteredtheauditiontosee"ayoungmanreelingaroundtheroomina
violentfrenzy...itwasasfrighteningaswatchingawoundedbeasttryingtobreak
loose.Iwastransfixed."WhenanexhaustedMifunefinishedhisscene,hesatdown
andgavethejudgesanominousstare.Hepromptlylostthecompetition.Kurosawa,
however,hadfoundhismuse."Iamapersonrarelyimpressedbyactors,"helater
said."ButinthecaseofMifuneIwascompletelyoverwhelmed."
“MifunehadakindoftalentIhadneverencounteredbeforeintheJapanesefilmworld.
Itwas,aboveall,thespeedwithwhichheexpressedhimselfthatwasastounding.The
ordinaryJapaneseactormightneedtenfeetoffilmtogetacrossanimpression;Mifune
neededonlythree.Thespeedofhismovementswassuchthathesaidinasingleaction
whattookordinaryactorsthreeseparatemovementstoexpress.Heputforth
everythingdirectlyandboldly,andhissenseoftimingwasthekeenestIhadeverseen
inaJapaneseactor.Andyetwithallhisquickness,healsohadsurprisinglyfine
sensibilities.–AkiraKurosawa,SomethingLikeanAutobiography.
On the film:
Noh theatre’s use of Lady Macbeth in white mask and slightly accelerated
movements. Also final scene with arrows.
“I decided upon the techniques of the Noh because in Noh style and story are
one. I wanted to use the way Noh actors have of walking and the general
composition which the Noh stage provides. This is one of the reasons why there
are so few close-ups in the picture. I tried to show everything using the full-shot.”
Kuroswa quoted in Sadoul’s Dictionary of Films.
Links:
Senses of Cinema
http://sensesofcinema.com/?s=throne+of+blood
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Kurosawa
Guardian’s Top 10
https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2010/mar/23/akira-kurosawa-100google-doodle-anniversary
Analysis
EverySamuraiLongsToBeMasterOfACastle
Michael Coy.
5 August 2000
Washizuisabravesamuraiwhohelpshislordtofightoffaviolentrebellion.
WashizuandhisfriendMikiareridingthroughCobwebForestwhenaspirit
appearstothemandmakespredictionswhichfiretheirambitions.WhenWashizu
explainsthisvisiontohiswifeAsaji,sheurgeshimtomurderhislordandruleinhis
stead.Thusthetragedybegins.
Kurosawa'sinterpretationofMacbethisvisuallyfascinating.Swirlingmist,colossal
treesdrippingwithrain,richblackvolcanicsoilandbulkyfortressarchitecture
providetheimposing,dread-ladenbackdropagainstwhichthehumansmovein
superblystylizedpatterns.ThedirectorchosetoshoottheactiononMountFuji
preciselybecauseofthevolcanicsoil-andevenhadtruckloadsbroughttothe
studioforpickupshots.
WesternersunfamiliarwithNoharemissingahugepartofthefilm'smeaning.This
thousand-year-oldtheatricaltraditioncorrespondsbroadlytoourElizabethan
Tragedy,andKurosawashowshowthetwoculturalstrains,easternandwestern,
interlockandinteract.Theoneilluminestheother.
TheNohstagemusthaveonitthreepinebranchesandasymbolicShintotemplearch.Inthefilm,shotsarecarefullycomposedtoincludetanglesofbranchesinthe
foreground,andthevastentrancegateofWashizu'sfortressservesforthetemple
arch.AndyetKurosawaisnotincludingthesedetailsredundantly,formereform's
sake-theubiquitousbranches,framingthehumanaction,remindusallthetimeof
theforestnemesisawaitingWashizu.ThearchisWashizu'sinterfacewiththeworld
-openintheearlystages,butgraduallylesssoastheprotagonistretreatsintohis
owndiseasedinnerself.
ANohplayfeaturesa"doer"(Shite)anda"companion"(Waku)whoplaysa
subordinaterole.WashizuandAsajiaretheShiteandWakurespectively.Elements
intheNohincludeabattle-drama(wegetonehere)andaso-called"wigdrama",in
whichafemalecharacterdominatestheaction.Thisisthecentralportionofthe
film,inthequietofthefortressquarters,whenAsajiruthlesslymanipulatesher
husband'sambition.EveryNohplayhasaghostwhichappearstotheShite,andthe
spiritintheforestfulfilsthatfunction.Nohplaysareneveroriginalworks,inthat
(byavenerableconvention)theyarere-workingsofancientlegends.Kurosawa
followstraditionbyquarryinghistalefromShakespeare'splay.
Thereisnowesterntermtodescribethestylizedstrikingofposessoimportantin
Noh.Ourword"dance"isacrudewordwhichapproximatesto,butdoesnotconvey,
thegraceoftheJapaneseart-form.Asaji,alonewiththeblood-stain,givesusa
glimpseofthisdelightfulritual.
Finally,Nohcontainsanauralrichnessalmosttotallyabsentfromwesterntragedy-
thecomplexrhythmsofstampingandpercussionwhichaccompanythespoken
word.Inthefilm,therhythmicpatternsofhorses'hoovesonsoil,andWashizu's
barefeetontheboardsofthebanquethall,aremeanttoreinforcethemoodasthey
creepintoouremotionsbysubliminalinsistence.
IsuzuYamadaisterrificasAsaji.Herstillnessabsolutelyoozesdetermination,
contrastingstronglywithherhusband'shollowbluster.
ItseemsthatKurosawacherishedtheconceptofaNohMacbethforsomeyears
beforecommittingittocelluloid.Apparentlytheprojecthadtobescrappedin1952
becauseWelles'Macbethwasnearingcompletion,andKurosawadidnotwantthe
twofilmstosufferbybeingendlesslycompared.Thisversion,then,hadtowaituntil
1957toberealised.
Thedirectorisnotafraidtoaddhisownflourishestothewell-knownstory.Wehear
ofthenotorioustraitorFujimakiwhodisembowelledhimselfinaroomofthe
fortress.TheexactspotisnowknownastheForbiddenRoom,aplaceofevilomen
withitsindeliblebloodstainonthefloor.Itisasymbolwhichencapsulatesthespirit
ofthefilm,interweavingtherelatedthemesoftreachery,bloodandguilt.Ina
brillianttransition,wearetakentoachangeofscenebytherippingdownofa
bannerbygallopinghorsemen.Washizuatthepinnacleofhisarroganceisfilmed
frombelowwithsevereforeshortening,conveyinghisvainglorymoreeffectively
thanwordsevercould.Thedeathscene,withitsrailing,hystericalprotagonistand
relentlessvolleysofarrows(theirgroupedshaftsrecallingthefatefulforest)has
enormouspowerandliveslongintheviewer'smemory.
ThroneofBlood:ShakespeareTransposed.
StephenPrice
CriticscommonlydescribeThroneofBlood(1957)asAkiraKurosawa’sadaptation
ofMacbeth.Whilethisdescriptioniscertainlynotuntrue,thefilmismuchmore
thanadirectcinematictranslationofaliterarytext.Kurosawa’smovieisabrilliant
synthesisofdiversecultural,aesthetic,andhistoricalsources,onlyoneskeinof
whichderivesfromShakespeare.Thefilm’stoweringachievementliesintheway
Kurosawaseamlesslyintegratestheseandgivesthemsuperlativeformalexpression.
Kurosawaoftenturnedtoforeignliteraryworksforhisfilms,butinallcases,the
resultwasatranspositionofthesourceratherthananythingasstraightforwardas
anadaptation.HisappropriationsofShakespeare(hereaswellasin1985’sRan),for
example,wereactsmoreofhistoriographythanofanalysis,anddescriptionsofthe
filmsasadaptationsminimizethetruenatureofwhatKurosawaaccomplished.In
ThroneofBlood,withhiskeenlydevelopedsenseofJapanesehistory,hefounda
kindofmirroruniverseintheperiodofturmoil,treachery,andsuccessionbattles
thatShakespearewroteaboutinMacbeth.
Shakespeare’splayderivesfromaregicideandotherhistoricaleventsineleventhcenturyScotland.Emergingideasofnationalunityandkingshipwerethenvying
withcivildisordercausedbybattlesforpoweramongregionallords.Strugglesover
successionoftenresultedinbloodshed.MalcolmII,grandfatherofDuncan,theking
Macbethkilled,seizedthecrownbyslayingarivalprinceandeliminatedother
rivalstoensureDuncan’ssuccession.Duncan,inturn,waskilledwhenheunwisely
venturedintoMacbeth’sprovinceinthenorthofScotland.Kurosawawaskeenly
impressedwiththeheritageofviolencethathesawintheplayanditshistory.He
onceremarkedthat,indepictinganagewhenthestrongpreyedontheweak,
Macbethhadafocusincommonwithallofhisfilms.
TheparallelKurosawaintuitedandexploredwaswiththecenturyofcivilwarin
medievalJapan.FollowingtheOninWar,whichlastedfrom1467to1477andlaid
wastetotheimperialcityofKyoto,thenationenteredthisprolongedtimeof
turmoil,theSengokuJidai(theAgeoftheCountryatWar),whichwasmarkedby
internecineconflictsamongrivalclans,theabsenceofacentralpoliticalpower,and
thekindoftreachery,prevarication,andmurderthatKurosawadramatizesin
ThroneofBlood.Warlordsviolentlyseizeddomains,murderedtrustedassociates,
andwerekilledinturnbytheirvassals.Washizu(ToshiroMifune)mayenactastory
whoseoutlinesarethoseofMacbeth,buthepersonifieselementsofthehistorical
spiritofhisownage.
Kurosawa’schronicleisahighlyselectiveone,however.Aswithhisliterarysources,
histreatmentofhistoryisfaithfultoelementsofthefactualrecordwhile
transposingthemintopoeticterms.Hemadethesixteenthcenturyhisownperiod
bybeingoneofthefewJapanesefilmmakersofhistimetoexploreit.InSeven
Samurai(1954),ThroneofBlood,TheHiddenFortress(1958),andRan,Kurosawa
concentratesontheepoch’smilitarystrife,andhispresentationsofthoseconflicts
aresoapocalypticastoimplythatwidespreadkillingwastakingplaceinJapan’s
medievalera.Infact,therateofbattlefielddeathinthesamuraiwarswasnotso
extensive.Kurosawagivesusbattlesfilteredthroughhisperceptionsasatwentiethcenturyartistwellacquaintedwiththetrulylarge-scaleslaughtersofhisowntime.
Thesenseofapocalypseinthefilmsisnotofthesixteenthcenturybut
contemporary.
Kurosawa’stranspositionofMacbethpointstothetransculturalmaterialsinthe
play—thecommonhumanexperiencethatunderliesit—butalsovitiatesthe
Shakespeareanelements.Allthatbeautifuldialogueisgone.Thatsurelymakesitan
oddadaptation,exceptthatKurosawahastransposednotonlyhistorybuttheateras
well.Thereisplentyoftheaterinthisfilm,butnotthesorttheKing’sMenwould
havestaged.
Kurosawa’sradicalgesturehereistosupplantShakespearewithNohtheater.
Emerginginthefourteenthcenturyandpatronizedbysamurailords,Nohwas
contemporaneouswiththeageKurosawadepicts,andthereforehefeltthatits
aestheticstylewouldfurnishtherightkindofformaldesignforthefilm.(InRan,
whenheagaintransposedShakespearetosixteenth-centuryJapan,heagain
incorporatedNohelements.)Besides,helovedNohandfounditinexpressibly
beautifulinitsownright.
NohshowsupeverywhereinThroneofBlood,makingtheprojectarealfusionof
cinemaandtheaterandshowingjusthowcinematictheatercanbeinthehandsofa
greatfilmmaker.Nohelementsincludethemusic(thatassertiveflute,forexample),
thebaresets,andespeciallythestylizedperformancesbyMifuneandIsuzuYamada
(asAsaji).
Nohperformingstyle,withitsblendofdance,song,poetry,andmime,isantithetical
totherealismandnaturalismthatinvestsactingintheWest.Itcountersthe
meaningofShakespeare’sfamouslinesinact3,scene2ofHamletabouttheactor
holdingthemirroruptonature.
PerformanceinNohaimsforaparadoxicalconjunctionofelements.Whenanactor
movesinapowerfulway,hemuststamphisfootgently.Nohperformanceisa
strikingblendofstillnessandagitation,amixtureofdifferentgesturesandtones
thatcanbeseenintheactingthroughoutthefilm,andthatKurosawaevencarried
overintothecinematicdesignofentiresequences,aswhenhecutsfromalong,
staticsceneofritualimmobilityandaustereplayingtoasceneoffuriousaction
choreographedwithflamboyantcameramoves.
ActorsinNohusemasks,andwhileKurosawadoesn’tdoanythingsoblatantly
artificialhere,hedoeshaveMifuneandYamadamodelfacialexpressionsthat
resemblepopularNohmasks(astrategyheextendedinYamada’smakeup).The
Nohmaskspointtoahugedifferencebetweenthistheatricaltraditionand
Shakespeare’s,onethathelpsgivethefilmmanyofitsunusualqualities.Nohisnot
psychologicallyoriented;itscharactersarenotindividualized,theyaretypes—the
oldman,thewoman,thewarrior,andsoon.Andtheplaysarequitedidactic,aiming
toimpartalesson.Kurosawa,therefore,stripsallthepsychologyoutofMacbethand
givesusafilmwhosecharactersareNohtypesandwhereemotions—theprovince
ofcharacterinthedramaoftheWest—areformallyembodiedinlandscapeand
weather.Thebleachedskies,thefog,thebarrenplains,andcharactersgoingadrift
againstandwithinthesespaces—thisiswheretheemotionofthefilmresides.Itis
objectifiedwithinandthroughtheworldofthings.
Asaresult,thefilmhasadefinitecoldness;itkeepsthevieweroutsidetheworldit
depicts.Kurosawawantsustograspthelesson,toseethefollyofhumanbehavior,
ratherthantoidentifyorempathizewiththecharacters.
Thisprovidesuswithadifferentculturalwayofseeing,whichKurosawaextendsby
incorporatinganothermedievalartinformed,likeNoh,byaBuddhistorientation.
Thestrikingemptinessofthespacesinthefilm—theskies,thedense,roilingfog
thatobscuresmountainsandplains—isacinematicrenditionofsumi-ecomposition.
Thisstyleofpen-and-inkdrawingleaveslargeportionsofthepictureunfilled,
makingofemptinessapositivecompositional(andspiritual)value.Kurosawa
believedthatthisartformresonateddeeplywiththeJapanese,andhewaseagerto
infusethefilmwithitsaesthetic.(ProductiondesignerYoshiroMuraki’scastleset
wasblack,andwasbuiltonthedark,volcanicsoilofMountFujiinordertoheighten
thesumi-eeffect,thecontrastbetweendarkandlight.Althoughbasedonhistorical
sketches,thecastleisnotofanysingleperiod.)
Asapositivevalue,thispictorialandspiritualemptinessissetagainstthehuman
worldofvanity,ambition,andviolence,whichKurosawasuggestsisallillusion.The
BuddhistartsofNohandsumi-eenabledhimtovisualizethisdisjunctionbetween
thehelloflifeaswepoorcreaturesknowit,subjecttoourstrivings,ourdesires,and
ourwill,andthecosmicorderthatnegatesthem.
IfKurosawastripsthepsychologyfromMacbeth,healsostripsoutShakespeare’s
politicalconservatism,refusingtogiveustheplay’sreassuringconclusion
(flatteringtoJamesI)inwhichajustpoliticalauthoritytriumphs.InKurosawa’sfilm
andworldview,thecycleofhumanviolenceneverends.Thusthefilm’smany
circularmotifsdescribetherealtragedyattheheartofthehistorythatThroneof
Blooddramatizes.Whydopeoplekilloneanothersooftenandthroughsomany
ages?Kurosawahadnoanswertothisquestion.Butheshowedushere,throughthe
film’schorus,itscircularity,anditsBuddhistaesthetics,thattheremaynotbean
answerwithinthisworld.
TheaestheticsandphilosophyofThroneofBloodtakeuswellbeyondShakespeare,
andthat’swhythisisagreatfilm.Itsaccomplishmentsarenotbeholdentoanother
mediumorartist.Kurosawagivesushisownvision,expressedwithruthless,
chillingpower,andit’sthetotalityofthatvision,itssweepanditsuncompromising
nature,thatmovesandterrifiesus—andthatwearesoseldomprivilegedtoseein
cinema.
StephenPrinceisaprofessorofcinemaatVirginiaTechandanhonoraryprofessorof
filmandmediaattheUniversityofCopenhagen.Heistheauthorofnumerousbooks
oncinema,includingTheWarrior’sCamera:TheCinemaofAkiraKurosawa.This
pieceoriginallyappearedintheCriterionCollection’s2003DVDreleaseofThroneof
Blood.
DonaldRitchie:
RitchieisanimportantintheunderstandingJapaneseCinema.
DirectorAkiraKurosawahadwantedtomakeThroneofBloodforsometime.“After
finishingRashomon[in1950]IwantedtodosomethingwithShakespeare’s
Macbeth,butjustaboutthattimeOrsonWelles’sversionwasannounced,soI
postponedmine.”Kurosawahadlongbeenfondoftheplay,oncecalledit“my
favoriteShakespeare,”and—beyondthis—hadanotherreasonformakingit.“I’ve
alwaysthoughtthattheJapaneseperiodfilmishistoricallyuninformed.Also,it
neverusesmodernfilmmakingtechniques.InSevenSamuraiwetriedtodo
somethingaboutthis,andThroneofBloodhadthesamegeneralfeelingbehindit.”
InMacbeth,Kurosawasawacontemporaryissue—aparallelbetweenmedieval
ScotlandandmedievalJapanwhichilluminatedcontemporarysociety;andfurther,
apatternwhichisvalidinbothhistoricalandcontemporarycontexts.Onceaskedif
hewantedtoposephilosophicalquestionsinhisfilmsorwhetherhewasmerely
makingentertainment,heanswered:“Ilookatlifeasanordinaryman.Isimplyput
myfeelingsontofilm.WhenIlookatJapanesehistory—orthehistoryoftheworld
forthatmatter—whatIseeishowmanrepeatshimselfoverandoveragain.”For
Kurosawathepatternofrepetitionisdestructiveanditisthispatternwhichfreehis
heroesattempttodestroy—asinthedirector’sIkiru,forexample.
ThefableofMacbethheldaspecialattractionforKurosawa.Theherotriestorealize
himself.Hisfault—notambitionorpride,assuch—ishisfailuretorealizehimself
completely.Instead,hewantsmerelytoriseintheworld,hewantssomethingas
conventionalaspower.Naturally,onemurderleadstoanother,becausethisisthe
patternofpower.
Kurosawadidnotintendthisfilmforhimself.“Originally,Iwantedmerelyto
producethepictureandletsomeoneyoungerdirectit.Butwhenthescriptwas
finishedandTohosawhowexpensiveitwouldbe,theyaskedmetodirectit.SoI
did.Mycontractexpiredafterthesenextthreefilmsanyway.”Perhapsifhehad
writtenthescriptwithhimselfinmindhemighthavewrittenitdifferently.Hehas
saidthatthescriptshedoesforothersareusuallymuchricherinvisualsthanthose
hedoesforhimself—andThroneofBloodisextremelyvisuallyrich.Butwhat
occurred,hesays,isthatheoftenvisualizedscenesdifferentlythanthewayhehad
writtenthem.Notthatheimprovised,orinventedontheset.“Ineverdothat.Itried
itonce.Neveragain.Ihadtothrowoutalloftheimpromptustuff.”Whathediddo,
onceheknewhewastodirectthepicture,wastobeginastudyofthetraditional
Japanesemusha-e—thoseearlypicturescrollsofbattlescenes.Atthesametimehe
askedKoheiEsaki—famousforcontinuingthisgenre—tobetheartconsultant.
Thedesigner,YoshiroMuraki,remembers:“Westudiedoldcastlelayouts,thereally
oldones,notthosewhitecastleswestillhavearound.Andwedecidedtouseblack
armoredwallssincetheywouldgowellwiththesuiboku-ga(inkpainting)effectwe
plannedwithlotsofmistandfog.Thatalsoisthereasonwedecidedthatthe
locationsshouldbehighonMountFuji,becausethefogandtheblackvolcanicsoil.
Wecreatedsomethingthatnevercamefromanysinglehistoricalperiod.To
emphasizethepsychologyofthehero,drivenbycompulsion,wemadetheinteriors
widewithlowceilingsandsquatpillarstocreatetheeffectofoppression.”
Kurosawaremembersthat,“First,webuiltanopensetatthebaseofFujiwithaflat
castleratherthanarealthree-dimensionalone.Whenitwasready,itjustdidn’t
lookright.Foronething,therooftilesweretoothinandthiswouldnotdo.I
insistedandheldout,sayingIcouldnotpossiblyworkwithsuchlimitations,thatI
wantedtogetthefeelingoftherealthingfromwhereverIchosetoshoot.”
Consequently—TohohavinglearnedfromSevenSamuraionwardthatKurosawa
wouldsomehowgethisway—theentireopensetwasdismantled.
Iwaspresentduringthelocationshootingformuchofthefilm.Particularlyfine
werethoserushesoftheadvancinghuntingparty,boththelongsilhouetteshots
and,later,theadvance,takenwithlongdistancelenseswhichflattenedthefigures
outandlookedlikeamedievaltapestry.AftertheyweretakenKurosawasaidhe
waspleased.“IhaveabouttentimesmorethanIneed.”
Inthefinishedfilmthismorning’sworktakestenseconds.Gonearetheliving
tapestries(“theyonlyhelduptheaction”);thewonderfulturningshotsofthe
messenger(“Idon’tknow—theylookedconfusedtome”);asplendidentranceof
Mifuneskiddingtoastop(“youknow,Washizuwasn’tthatupset”);andalovely
framingshotoftheprocessionseenthroughthegate(“toopretty”).
IstillthinkofKurosawathatmorning,uponhisplatform,directingeverything,
alwaysquiet,suggestingratherthancommanding,lookingthroughtheview-finders,
gettingdowntorunthroughthemudtotheothercamera,makingjokes,gettingjust
whathewanted.Andthen—havingthecourage,thedisciplinetochoosefromthat
morning’srichnessjustthosefewframeswhichcontainedwhatwouldbestbenefit
thefilm.And,allthetime,makingthedefinitivestatementonman’ssolitude,his
amibition,hisself-betrayal.