Throne of Blood

+ extended intro by Rosina Buckland, the British Museum’s lead curator of Samurai

Kumonosu-jô

The greatest screen adaptation of Shakespeare? Kurosawa’s take on Macbeth is the thrilling work of a director at the height of his powers.

  • Director

    Akira Kurosawa

  • With

    Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Ganjiro Nakamura, Kyoko Kagawa

  • Japan 1957. 110min

  • Digital 4K

  • Certificate

    12A

  • English subtitles

Kurosawa originally only intended to write this take on Macbeth. Ishirô Honda, hot after the success of 1954’s Godzilla, was lined up to direct. But Kurosawa could never let a good thing go. And Throne of Blood is very good. Set in a bloody feudal era, drawing heavily on the Noh style of drama and making the most of locations around Mount Fuji, Kurosawa’s film is rightly regarded as one of the greatest cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare.

This screening will include an extended introduction by Rosina Buckland, the British Museum’s lead curator of Samurai.