Throne of Blood

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Year: 1957

The first thing to keep in mind when watching any movie from a previous decade, generation or, in this case, nearly 50 years in the past, is context. There are going to be elements, usually technical, that simply don’t match up with modern expectations. The same goes for cultural, artistic and language differences. A viewer has to open her mind up a bit in order to let the film past normal skeptical checkpoints of the mind and its fight for what it deems normal. An undisciplined viewer might allow these elements to distract him to the point of quitting the film. With Throne of Blood, that would be a tremendous mistake. The story, as it should be, is king – and what a grand king it is.

Kurosawa is one of Japan’s masters in the art of film and his craftsmanship is on full display here. The script is based on Shakespeare’s MacBeth and the blood-rich theme of ambition is at its heart. The score screeches at us during the opening title sequence, warning, always warning about the upcoming depravity we’re about to witness. The opening ten minutes or so take place in Spider’s Web Castle. The king hears from a messenger who set us up for the story. Though it can be a bit confusing to follow the different style and exactly who’s who, the reward comes shortly afterward in the Spider’s Web forest surrounding the castle. The recurrent motif of “the tangled web being woven” is spun literally on the screen and metaphorically throughout the characters words and actions.

A prophecy is laid forth and, like any great con, it is both vague and specific enough to be believed, validated in a twisted form and ultimately, damnably, worshipped. This is the mirror of humanity Kurosawa raises up for us. Who are we in our hearts? What would we do to achieve that which is our most secret desire? What if that desire was not just supported but bolstered by our most precious and trusted love, our spouse? Oh what a beautifully tangled web, indeed.

Kurosawa’s films are known for their attention to nature, in the animal, elemental and mineral form as well as man’s relationship to each. Man’s dominance versus fear of these plays out in the howling wind, thick fog, shrill bird cries and a frightening forest sequence at the pinnacle of the Lord’s madness.

Throne of Blood is one of many films Steven Spielberg and George Lucas point to as highly influential upon them and their early style of filmmaking. It’s evident in several areas of style, particularly the cinematography and editing.

As the film has lasted 50 years and still feels relevant, it is, no doubt, worthy of its five out of five ranking on the Resonance Rating scale. Cheers to Kurosawa and his "short live the king!" masterpiece.