earticle

영어

Throne of Blood (aka Spider Web Castle) is a Japanese movie version of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in medieval Japan. It is a highly structured film, heavily influenced by Japanese Noh drama conventions. In Throne of Blood, Kurosawa exploits various theatrical elements of Noh, such as structural organization, masks, music, chant, and choreography to reproduce the theater experience of Noh within his film. Unlike most adaptations, Throne of Blood uses virtually no dialogue from Macbeth. Shakespeare’s poetry is replaced by visual imagery in the movie. Shakespeare’s Macbeth has a choice in committing regicide when the witches reveal to him that he will become king. But, unlike Macbeth, Washizu does not have any choice in the matte because it was part of his destiny and the vicious cycle that the forest sprit and chorus at the beginning and end of the film speak of. Asaji is much more calculating and ambitious than Lady Macbeth. It is Asaji who plots the murder of Miki, unlike Lady Macbeth. She is clever, manipulative and bold. Washizu in contrast is less articulate and seemingly less self aware than Macbeth. When Macbeth is beheaded in the end by Macduff, peace is restored to Scotland as the rightful heir to the throne, Duncan’s son Malcolm, becomes the new king. In the case of the Spider Web Castle of Throne of Blood, there will never be peace because as the spirit explains, “Death will reign: man dies in vain.” Shakespeare’s emphasis is much more on the noble but flawed individual, than on a flawed society, or a universal flaw in human nature. In this regard Washizu is certainly a far different creature to Macbeth. Finally, Throne of Blood shows the cyclic nature of evil and a pervasive decay at the core of feudal society.