THRONE OF BLOOD (Kurosawa, 1957)
Criterion Collection, Blu-Ray/DVD, Release Date Jan 7, 2014
Review by Christopher S. Long
An ambitious general receives a
prophecy that he will one day rule the land. Spurred on by his
ambitious wife, he kills his master, moves to assume power, is
plagued by guilt and paranoia, and winds up snuffing it before he
ever takes the throne. So yes, Akira Kurosawa's “Throne of Blood”
(1957) is an adaptation of Shakespeare's “Macbeth,” but one that
cuts out almost all of the dialogue, transplants the action to feudal
Japan, and replaces the conventions of Elizabethan theater with those
of Japanese Noh. So “Throne of Blood” isn't exactly an adaptation
of “Macbeth.” Rather, it is most distinctly a film by Akira
Kurosawa.
The movie opens on a desolate,
fog-enshrouded rocky landscape populated only by a forlorn wooden
marker indicating that a great castle once stood here; a chorus
underscores the Ozymandias-like quality by reminding viewers to
“behold the ruins.” When the music stops (and we've jumped back
in time a few centuries), there's nothing but fog and a howling wind
until a tiny figure on horseback finally wavers into view. The film
maintains this Spartan look throughout, a gallery of empty spaces,
ruined landscapes, and lengthy silences.
Raging against the void comes Toshiro
Mifune in high dudgeon as General Washizu who, along with his
Banquo-like friend General Miki (Minoru Chiaki), wanders through a
labyrinthine forest that insists on funneling them to a specific
clearing where they encounter the spirit (the eerie and effective
substitute for Shakespeare's three witches) who seals their fate
simply by revealing it to them. From this point on, it's clear that
even (and especially) these most powerful of men are just puppets or,
more aptly, fools embracing the illusion that they are masters of a
world that views them as little more than a punchline in the cosmic
joke. And perhaps not even that.
Oddly enough, the vain, ambitious
Washizu appears sensitive to this aura of inevitability too. Mifune
rants and raves as he hacks his way closer, but never close enough,
to power, yet he is plagued by doubt and shame even before he crosses
the line into cowardly treason. It's as if he's already read the
script, even the parts the spirit hasn't related to him, and prepares
himself for the inevitable, perhaps buoyed by the thought that, at
the very least, he will be granted one of the greatest death scenes
in movie history.
Dialogue is pared down massively with
dramatic emphasis given over to music (piercing flute and percussion)
and the tightly controlled physical performances typical of Noh
theater that Kurosawa loved so much. Even the volcanic Mifune moves
with a choreographed deliberation distinct from his more feral
performances, and his scheming wife Asaji (Isuzu Yamada) sometimes
looks like a statue with her rigid posture and chalky mask.
The stark black-and-white photography
by Asakazu Nakai is never less than breathtaking, as are the blighted
sets built, with great difficulty, on the slope of Mt. Fuji. It's a
world of mud and crumbling rock and rolling fog banks, a nature that
rejects its most misguided creations and has no patience for their
silly game of thrones.
Kurosawa never created a more seductive
atmosphere, and “Throne of Blood” goes down as one of the
greatest “lost cause” movies ever made. Just enjoy the ride along
with the doomed protagonists. It's OK, they deserve it.
Video:
The film is presented in its original
1.37:1 aspect ratio. Like most new Criterions, this is a dual-format
release, meaning that you get two separate discs, one with a SD-DVD
copy, the other with a high def Blu-ray transfer. Only the Blu-ray is
reviewed here.
A film constantly enveloped by fog
might present problems for a digital transfer of any kind, but this
high-def treatment captures the grimy black-and-white images with
vivid sharpness. A rich grainy structure has been well preserved,
lending to the stark look of the film. A few instances of damage are
evident from time to time, not a surprise considering that the film's
original negative no longer survives. From the Criterion booklet:
“This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a DFT
Scanity film scanner from the original 35 mm fine-grain master
positive.”
Damage, however, is fairly modest and
doesn't detract from the impressive look of this 1080p image. The
original Criterion SD, released ten years ago, was just fine. This is
several steps above fine.
Audio:
The LPCM Mono track really sounds
great. It's not very dynamic, but isn't meant to be. The sharper
musical cues come through very clearly and the slightly hollow sound
enhances the mood of the film.
Viewers are given the option to select
between two different English subtitle options. The first (default)
option is subtitled by scholar Linda Hoaglund, the second option is
subtitled by the late, great scholar Donald Richie. There are
significant differences between the two options, an indication of the
latitude translators always take, and the particular challenges
represented by the highly stylized, idiosyncratic dialogue in “Throne
of Blood” that isn't necessarily best translated in a the most
literal fashion.
Extras:
Criterion has added one Extra not
included on its 2003 SD release of “Throne of Blood.” We get yet
another installment of the apparently sprawling Toho Masterworks
series, “Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful To Create” that has
appeared on so many of Criterion's Kurosawa releases. This 23-minute
excerpt from this massive series addresses “Throne of Blood” and
heavily relies on an interview with the director.
Repeated from the 2003 SD is the
commentary track (recorded in 2002) by Japanese-film scholar Michael
Jeck who offers a wealth of information in a style that finds a happy
medium between the conversational and the academic and should appeal
to most listeners.
The only other extra, also repeated
from 2003, is the four-minute theatrical trailer.
The 24-page insert booklet includes an
essay by writer and film professor Stephen Prince as well as essays
by Linda Hoaglund and Donald Richie explaining their respective
approaches to subtitling “Throne of Blood.”
Final Thoughts:
I'm always surprised when “Throne of
Blood” is described as being second-tier Kurosawa. It's never meant
as an insult since his second-tier is above most first-tiers, but
only to suggest that it isn't one of his very best films. I disagree
vehemently. It's top three Kurosawa for me, though perhaps I am
biased since this was my introduction both to Kurosawa and to
Japanese cinema. Criterion's new high-def transfer is a real thing of
beauty. Extras are somewhat sparse, but it's still a must-own for any
fan of the director.
No comments:
Post a Comment