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 theater to create an unforgettable cinematic experience.
SPECIAL FEATURES
New, restored 2K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
Audio commentary featuring Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
Documentary on the making of the film, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
Two alternate subtitle translations, by Japanese film translator Linda Hoaglund and Kurosawa expert Donald Richie
Trailer
PLUS: An essay by film historian Stephen Prince and notes on the subtitling by Hoaglund and Richie
