This 1957 Japanese samurai film is a postwar adaptation of Shakespeare’s MacBeth, but we learned that it’s also tapping into historical theatrical techniques and criticisms of nationalistic self-destruction. We turn to other writers and scholars for help unpacking these symbols we don’t know much about, while learning just how universal this critically acclaimed movie actually is.

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• Throne of Blood

Additional Resources:

• 1957: When Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Throne of Blood’ Was Ahead of Its Time
• Parker, B. (1997). Nature and Society in Akira Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood.” University of Toronto Quarterly, 66(3), 508.
• Catherine Russell. “Men with swords and men with suits: The cinema of Akira Kurosawa” Cineaste. Winter2002, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p4. 10p. 9
• The Chilling Effect of Noh Theater on Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Throne of Blood’
• ‘Throne of Blood’: The Value and Meaning of Kurosawa’s Fog-Drenched Masterpiece

Check out this episode!