Shakespearean hearts of darkness pump the lifeforce into "Throne of Blood," one of Akira Kurosawa's greatest films. Loosely based on "Macbeth," the movie is a blood-soaked tragedy set in feudal Japan of the 16th century. "Throne of Blood" is widely regarded as one of the most successful film adaptations of a Bard play. Kurosawa dares to edit … [Read more...]
‘High and Low’ and hard-boiled
Akira Kurosawa wasn't known for film noir or crime thrillers, but he did do a genre drive-by back in 1963. Of course, it's killer. The Criterion Collection has reissued to Blu-ray "High and Low," the Japanese master's tale of a hardworking factory chief whose life is ruined after his son is targeted by kidnappers. Toshiro Mifune plays shoe … [Read more...]
‘Throne of Blood’: Of madness and ‘Macbeth’
Shakespearean hearts of darkness pump the lifeblood into "Throne of Blood," one of Akira Kurosawa's greatest films. Loosely based on "Macbeth," the movie is a blood-soaked tragedy set in feudal Japan of the 16th century. "Throne of Blood" is widely regarded as one of the most successful film adaptations of a Bard play. Kurosawa dares to edit … [Read more...]
‘Kagemusha’: Kurosawa’s shadow world
Akira Kurosawa's suicide attempt was almost a decade behind him. He hadn't made a film in almost five years, and Japan's major studios had rejected his latest project, an epic tale of warlords clashing in the 16th century. "I thought another script of mine would vanish into the void," the aging director recalled years later. This time, … [Read more...]
