Anyone can make Shakespeare profound; his lines speak for themselves. Kurosawa, however, makes Shakespeare timeless, by taking the essence of Macbeth and placing it in his own realm of interest. We get a sense that everybody involved -- the actors, the director, the crew -- understands the story they're telling, and so when liberties are taken (and they are), it's done with great respect. Most adaptations focus on authenticity rather than heart; Throne of Blood wears its heart on its sleeve.

My favorite Shakespeare adaptation! Which doesn't say much, since my second favorite is Strange Brew... still, pretty awesome and somewhat strange samurai flick with some great scenery. Mifune sort of goofs on himself here, at least that's what I think he's going for, and he's supremely entertaining to watch. Probably one of the few Kurosawa films that even approaches the realm of light entertainment.

Not terrible, but I expected better from Kurosawa.

One of my favorite Kurosawa movies. In his other films, there was always something/someone that annoyed me but this was pretty flawless. It was raw, eerie, and urgent.

While never a big fan of the 'MacBeth' story - the final death scene in this movie rivals that of Sanjuro

The source material is great, it looks very good and there are a scattering of impressive scenes, in particular the spectacular ghost scene. Still, it all feels so stiff and clunky with obvious exposition, odd pacing, characters shouting out what is happening. Oh, and there is a lot of SHOUTING just to make the film seem all the more DRAMATIC. Also I'm saddened that Lady Macbeth whose fascinating transformation in the play driven by greed and guilt is here reduced to just some silly crazy lady

Incredible interpretation of Shakespeare, and a brilliant end scene.

Raw, muscular, urgent. Revisioning Macbeth to accommodate samurai doesn't deepen or otherwise change the story in any dramatic way. It just winds up being a different way to tell it, letting the natural power of the story emerge. Toshiro Mifune brings exactly the right intensity to the lead role, but it's ultimately the striking visual sense of Kurosawa--typified by the incredibly eerie feel of the sequence that introduces the seer who puts the tragedy into motion--that makes the film vital.

Mifune is great as always, but my mind wandered -- Kurosawa has done this subject to death.

My favorite Macbeth adaption/transpostition. Stays true to the idea, but has a style of it's own. Kurosawa and Mifune score another classic.

A Japanese version of _Macbeth_ with a strange and horrifying final sequence. The whole film is a treat to look at.

Better than the Shakespeare version. Yeah, I said it.

A major problem I have with this film is the lack of emotional weight in the story, it's also rather uneven and quite boring at times (and I'm relieved I'm not the only one who couldn't give a crap). The technical aspects are once again top notch (art direction, costumes, camera work,...) and Mifune is once again a joy to watch, but I expected something more from the great director.

One of the best versions of Macbeth. The elements of the play lend themselves perfectly to feudal Japan.

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I think this is Kurosawa's best film. It takes Shakespeare and transports it to Japan, finds a Tendai Buddhist parable about karma in it. The acting and stylization owe much to Japanese No drama, the scenery is from Japanese landscape painting. Such an organic, chemical melding of East and West has never happened before or since.

Amazingly dark, fog and shadow filled Kurosawa classic. The ending contains one of the greatest death scenes ever filmed.

iktidar arzusunu ve entirikayi cok rafine bir sekilde yansitmis yonetmen. iktidar hirsininin azalmadan insanlari daha da aptallastirdigini da bize hatirlatmis. filmin her aninda, japon ikliminden gelen oyunculuk hikayenin atmosferine uygun tiyatro etkisi yaratiyor.