Tag: Mifune

April 6, 2010 / / Main Slate Archive

THRONE OF BLOOD – The Power of Influence

By William Benker

Throne of Blood – 1957 – dir. Akira Kurosawa

The power of prophecy and influence drives Akira Kurosawa’s revitalized Macbeth in Throne of Blood.  In the midst of feudal Japan, Washizu (played by Kurosawa regular, Toshiro Mifune) bears witness to the complete corruption and dissection of himself by his own hand.  Kurosawa’s grim look at the sheer power of outside influence strikes at the heart of Throne of Blood, truly expressing what is sacrificed when one loses himself in another’s foreboding.  The intricate maze of self-deception, paranoia and selfishness leaves little to wonder at beside the rigid forest that guards Spider Web Castle.

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March 29, 2010 / / Main Slate Archive

THE BAD SLEEP WELL – Conspiracy of Evil

By William Benker

The Bad Sleep Well – 1960 – dir. Akira Kurosawa

Kurosawa’s neo-noir The Bad Sleep Well is a hybrid examination on the evil of revenge. Drawn by a thread of vengeance, each turn of events show that evil only grows more complex when driven by a sense of justice.  While the film’s protagonist Nishi (Toshiro Mifune) reveals his vengeful pursuit through an embezzlement scandal that consumes his company, Kurosawa unravels the evil dimension that has trapped each and every character involved.  It proves in the end that no matter what type of justice is sought after, the dirt it always on someone else’s hands.  When all is said and done, the cleanest hands suffer the greatest loss.

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