AN ADAPTATION - THOUGH NOT THE SORT YOU MIGHT EXPECT... "THRONE OF BLOOD / SPIDERWEB CASTLE"

Ok, so, this blog is a blog by a cinephile for other (potential) cinephiles. Not that you need any depth of knowledge concerning the cinema to read this blog, I have done my best to make sure of that… However, I do assume things sometimes. And I assume we have all heard of Shakespeare, right? Right. Phew. Now, the play I have in mind is Macbeth. But what, I hear you enquire, has that got to do with a week where the apparent theme has been the works of Akira Kurosawa? Well, the thing is I am not thinking of an exact replica of Macbeth, but an adaptation. By Akira Kurosawa. Into Japanese. There, that got your attention, didn’t it? =)
Ok, so I believe we all know the story of Macbeth, the story of Throne of Blood is exactly the same. Behold, long, long ago in medieval Japan, a good natured and valiant lord, Wachi, who fights for an overlord. He and his best friend are summoned to the castle one day to receive awards for outstanding bravery in battle and they are accosted by an evil woodland spirit. The spirit informs Wachi?? That he will one day rule the land. He tells Miki that his son and posterity will, among other predictions of promotion. The two friends are startled but are also determined not to take the spirit too seriously. Until its predictions start coming true that is. When Wachi goes home and tells his wife of what has happened, she takes the news rather differently. If he is destined to be overlord he must secure his position as soon as possible and by any means possible. Murder included…
Now I will not go on to the end on the off chance that some of us are not acquainted with the story of the play. But I am sure that those of us who are can see the similarities already. And the differences. The use of an evil spirit – commonplace in Japanese mythology I am told – instead of witches (nonexistent in Japanese mythology) is one small instance. The entire story, while kept the same (sometimes verbatim from the play – in Japanese of course) is tweaked and adapted to medieval Japan. It was interesting to see that the focus of the story had changed slightly in the adaptation too. Throne of blood is less the story of personal tragedy we see in Macbeth and more a warning against disloyalty and blind ambition. I’m not quite sure why this is the case, maybe having a profound personal story on screen would clash with Japanese formality of the ‘50s and ‘60s? Maybe Kurosawa was imitating some form of Japanese theatre? I say this because we notice a Greek chorus-like song at the beginning and end of the film spelling out the moral of the story for us. Maybe this kind of theatre would have to have a moral dimension to it? Maybe it was just Kurosawa’s personal decision. I’m not sure. All I know is, to give another example whereas Lady Macbeth is just a woman ambitious for her husband and for whom we feel sorry for at the end when she goes mad; Asaji, her equivalent in Throne of blood borders on being a monster. The way Kurosawa chooses to portray her – not just psychologically but the way she is physically shot in some of the scenes – is spooky, underlining the difference between her and her husband. She almost seems like the prolongation of the evil spirit egging him on. There are other, some quite major differences with the play too, but I have to warn you that you really shouldn’t expect %100 Shakespeare. As I told Mom repeatedly all through the film, it is an ADAPTATION. To JAPAN. Just sit back and enjoy the experience. If you are able to shed your prejudices you will enjoy it. At worst, you will find it interesting and that in itself is NOT a bad thing at all…