Throne of Blood

Yes, this is that Kurosawa film in which "hail of arrows" takes on a whole new meaning. Japanese master Akira Kurosawa's 1957 Noh theater-influenced Throne of Blood (a.k.a. The Hidden Forest) transports Shakespeare's Macbeth from the Scottish heath to feudal Japan (and Mount Fuji!), where fresh-from-battle Toshiro Mifune as warrior Taketori Washizu is met not by three weird sisters but a ghostly old codger at a spinning wheel who foretells that Washizu will become the new warlord. Isuzu Yamada turns in one of the most chilling "Lady Macbeth" interpretations ever filmed as Lady Washizu, the cold, quietly menacing, power-hungry wife who urges her somewhat reluctant husband on to murder and cover-ups (her dress ominously slides across the floor with the sibilant sounds of a slithering snake). If you remember your Bard, all does not exactly end well for our hero, whose bloody ascension up the chain of command ends in…well…that infamous arrow shower that has to be seen to be believed. Sporting one of Criterion's characteristically sharp and bright digital transfers, the DVD also features the choice of two different subtitle translations (one by Linda Hoaglund, the other by Donald Richie), a fun and informative commentary track by film scholar Michael Jeck, and a handsome 24-page booklet. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review—Jan. 14, 2014—Criterion, 109 min., in Japanese w/English subtitles, not rated, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1957's Throne of Blood features a great transfer and an uncompressed monaural audio. Extras include audio commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck, an excerpt from the series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create (23 min.), two alternate subtitle translations, a trailer, and a booklet featuring an essay by film historian Stephen Prince. Bottom line: a classic Kurosawa film shines on Blu-ray.]