Throne of Blood [Blu-ray]

Great actors and story is riveting. If u like Japanese history and culture it fills all the boxes. Particularly excellent reenactment of a battle between opposing forces and the bloody times in Japan.

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.

Excellent film, excellent filmmaker, excellent & nicely restored Criterion release (with a fairly short but very helpful & interesting extra about the making of the film). This is Macbeth a la Japanese medieval history, influences from Noh theater, stupendous acting (esp from Toshiro Mifune), and mesmerizing camerawork. Kurosawa can film for several minutes two horse riders lost in a fog, and it's absolutely gripping. Moreover, the film set was located on a lower slope of Mt. Fuji—only that area is visible, not the whole mountain, but it's still a meaningful location. All in all, excellence that made me wish the film were longer. When I finished this, my first thought was: Kurosawa's movies make you feel like no one else has ever REALLY known how to make a movie. He was the supreme filmmaker of cinema, even if he thought John Ford was. :) Ever grateful for his body of work, and wishing more of his films were restored and released on BD.

Great story and presentation; worth having to rewatch this Japanese black and white sixty year old movie

Good movie

Great presentation from Criterion.

In line with the quality of Seven Samurai well made solid acting. Well worth a watch

Picture quality is beautiful. All performances are amazing, but of course, the two main characters, played by Toshero Mifune and Minoru Chiaki, is outstanding. Sound is very good, with accurate subtitles in English. Dark, magical, and beautiful to watch.