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Throne Of Blood Compared To Macbeth

Decent Essays

Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) perfectly adapts Shakespeare’s Macbeth (first performed in 1606) without using phrases such as ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair.’ or ‘Out, damned spot! Out, I say!’ The film, which is set in medieval Japan, displays effective use of emotions, images, silence and sound to create an atmospheric adaption similar to Macbeth. The film is also largely influenced by Macbeth’s setting, themes, characters, and plot.
Although the fearful atmosphere is similar, Washizu and Macbeth’s reaction when they first encountered the witches was different. When Macbeth first met the witches he was eager to find out about his and Banquo’s future. However, in Throne of Blood, Washizu kept a stoic face when he met the witch. It …show more content…

In Throne of Blood, Washizu is killed by his own men who shot arrows at him. Macduff was a symbol of righteousness; he was a man who put the health and safety of others in front of his abundant gains. In spite of the fact that Macduff once respected Macbeth, he became vengeful after Macbeth killed his family. Kurosawa deliberately left the character, which could have portrayed Macduff, anonymous. Akira Kurosawa paid close attention to the inner struggle and battle of man; Washizu’s morals that once managed and supervised him turned into his greatest enemy after killing the king. His facial expressions gave viewers little to none insight of his thought process; similarly to his wife. However, the change of atmosphere and mood portrayed the weakening of his mind. When his wife lost her sanity, the sky was split in two by lightning. Darkness enveloped the city as the forest approached, the castle was showered with daylight and the turmoil of Washizu’s people clouded his thoughts. Towards the end of the film, Washizu expected a physical challenge with his enemy but his foolishness led to his death.
In conclusion, I prefer the film Throne of Blood as it successfully delivers the message both visually and audibly. Although both Macbeth and Throne of Blood have major similarities, the film Throne of Blood displayed new and profound ideas that didn’t appear in Macbeth. I would recommend Throne of Blood to people who are interested in Macbeth or Noh

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