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Throne of Blood

Play trailer Poster for Throne of Blood 1957 1h 48m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's Macbeth in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.
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Throne of Blood

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Critics Consensus

A career high point for Akira Kurosawa -- and one of the best film adaptations of a Shakespeare play.

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Critics Reviews

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Kenneth Cavander Sight & Sound After Rashomon and Seven Samurai, this film is even more of a disappointment because of the traces it bears of a cinematic Grand Master at work. Mar 30, 2020 Full Review Keith Phipps The Dissolve Unavoidable consequence of human ambition. Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 13, 2014 Full Review TIME Magazine No doubt about it now: Japan's Akira Kurosawa must be numbered with Sergei Eisenstein and D. W. Griffith among the supreme creators of cinema. Mar 4, 2013 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm ... a tale of fog and blood. Rated: 3/4 Jul 3, 2025 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …justifiably seen as a work of art, a hybrid of Akira Kurosawa’s epic visual reach and Shakespeare’s (fictional) but timeless story; the Japanese setting allows the action to flow and supernatural elements to be rendered in striking, unearthly visions… Rated: 5/5 May 21, 2025 Full Review Howard Waldstein CBR This iteration of "The Scottish Play" retains most of the narrative contours, but is enhanced by Kurosawa's compositional acuity, and ability to render the adaptation with a distinctly cinematic feel. Jun 27, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Virgo V Throne of Blood (Kumonosu-jō), literally The Spider Web Castle, is a 1957 Japanese epic jidaigeki film co-written, directed, edited and produced by Akira Kurosawa, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada and Takashi Shimura. It was written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryūzō Kikushima, Hideo Oguni and Akira himself. It was distributed and produced by Toho Company, Limited. In the lead roles, the stars are modelled after the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Kurosawa was a fan of the play and intended to make his own adaptation for several years. The film won two Mainichi Film Awards, including the best actor award for Toshiro Mifune’s performance of the insane king. Vision wrote: “this is the story of a warrior who ascends the throne through high treason. Embodied by the spirits, a man sits on a throne of insanity, not just a throne of blood. Toshiro Mifune plays his part. His performance is highly praised for being the insane king. Akira Kurosawa does it again! Three fries for the direction, performances and the production. The editing for its time was phenomenal.” Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/13/25 Full Review Nathan B. The beauty of the work is there. It’s my favorite film. Techniques used in this film have been used and reused by directors. A perfect film that reimagines one of the best tragic characters. It’s worth a watch if you like classic cinema, are curious, or if you like Kurosawa. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review Insomniac X Captivating period drama with epic mise en scene and a white knuckle performance by Toshiro Mifune. Kurosawa wisely simplifies the plot of Macbeth in order to emphasize its interplay of primal emotional drives and desires. The film's only weakness is that some of its most powerful moments occur offscreen, undermining its emotional depth and complexity. Nonetheless, timeless themes and iconic imagery solidify Throne of Blood as an undisputed classic. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/13/25 Full Review Neal C This is definitely Akira kowisowas darkest film yet and it’s a really good one to. Based off of Shakespears play Macbeth and try’s telling the audience that everything comes with consequences 8/10 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/09/24 Full Review Sachin E Finally it was a Japanese guy in the 1950s who made an authentic film adaptation of a 1600s British play. Although Throne of Blood is set in feudal Japan unlike Macbeth which was set in medieval Scotland, Kurosawa has succesfully transformed Shakespearean literature into a visual extravaganza. And yet, Throne of Blood is not a mere adapation, it is a masterpiece on its own. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/30/24 Full Review Alec B It's a pretty outstanding adaptation/reinterpretation of "Macbeth" with Mifune's unhinged performance anchoring the film. The ending features one of cinema's great death scenes. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji (Isuzu Yamada), presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's Macbeth in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.
Director
Akira Kurosawa
Producer
Akira Kurosawa, Sojiro Motoki
Screenwriter
Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryûzô Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni
Production Co
Toho Company Ltd., Kurosawa Production
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 22, 1957, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 17, 2016
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)
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