FILM THEORY AND CRITICISM Introductory Readings Gerald Mast Marshall Cohentubrary of Congress Catalogue Cad Number 74-7729 Jer Aso: “Sonda nina (atari Quarry, Vola 1, Manker& Copyright ©1988 by The Printed inthe Unie State of America ors Bro Cope ©1057 by oh Hopkins Uist Ete The ara of attr Fak Keren Tr Nes York Rr of Bok, Cte 5 1972. Copeaht ©J. BLUMENTHAL MACBETH INTO. THRONE OF BLOOD Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (1957) is the only work, to sry knowledge, that has eve completely suceeded in tansorming 8 play of Svahespare's no a il. What important sbout ts hat the film isa masterpiece in ls own right andthe fr oft ind. Up tonow, Shakespeare adaptations forthe screen heve Been perpetrated thisis the only word foeit) mainly by then hone fee love isthe theatre, Maybe this is the way i has to be, Maybe Throne of Slood is an abertation, and truly ited film-mokers wl always try o liberate themselves from the eaded Htersry meds fe that they can concentrate om culling their own experience for film material Tues tk even pombe argu that Shakespene ‘daptations Fr the screen shouldbe let to sts sachs Ole, So that they can bring the great seiloguies ond teconsteuclons of the Globe Theatre to the provinces for thin too. an important function ofthe fim But then, Who eto say where Filmakers sch a Kusosawa [as oppored to men ofthe tote) shoul acc ‘nspration especially when they siceeed in turning out pret fat Say Tray Bee Al plays quran son Welles, wo has shown 3 gens for Bot meds. sa good case point. tie has toed mating fms Out Of tro of Shakespeares plays and has faled-misesby. wah Macbeth gracefully with Otello both times, Hie Othello bent tif a fas Beeause mos! ofits cnematic Hlourshes ave era toils. Hi toying with the medium semaine toying for al su THRONE OF aLOOD mustery. Welles is too often guilty of serving up chunks of pure Shakespeare that have been sugatoated with sh unusl camere Angle o- composition or ncly sliced up by a bold cut Althosgh this all very fascinating Yo Took at, the experience of looking ‘empty atthe ene Irs ae hath, or arama Dresson{ No- water From what ange-one photogsanhe ENTE recs TAO WHET one cule The ats “teongalTOTar HDG Heindivdual scene with ea WHAT Few such anes the Flings a ore ‘FFs RaTUOUS decoration i the subject and not what eet be am inevitable articulation of it ‘THE FOREST This Takes Us to Throne of Blood [At the same time, it takes us to Kurosan's profound commis rent to crating meaning by the manipulation af mara realty. No dwt this for him jst ae much an involuntary resporor ‘perience ast ia commitment but whatever is sousce the toe ittakes inthis film is revealing, To begin wth, Karosews dove uch moce here than simply leting us see the things that Shake searc's characters describe, and the places where the action ‘This ime-honoured but very imted device lor Fling plays for from his only resource: The ptr shat moved tomake atin out of. The play sabout noble ond hehe ambitious warrior Faced with te dre tatk of pining consol seer 34‘iow vivid but treacherous imagination He needs to prove hi sel to hel and can dos0 only by ating ut his most horebie ‘sop lly embracing ‘oul Si-contrl and ef desraction soon become idemical and] The aR As Karosora must ave seen the coal Fron war oid [paul wears of exereaig. of ject] (in tacets rug py "aataraP Ties a The Sect cower Td TO APH (oem fhe eal work fot ar Macbeth i Hving ar going the Fri not enough that Macbeth’ thoughs anbe photographed, photographing them mit bring them of, Thmnam Wool, a marginal symbol from the orga works was rerfct forthe prt ven in the play itis only when the forest Al the las nature ust ax Mach subverts he oral ode) that Macbeth fate becomes expt and he realises that the ind of selconiol he sught was suicidal nthe fil however the forest ismorethan marginal obective correlative ofthe themes both the batdeground shee the cont rages and th THRONE OF 8L00D Cale, where their lord i wating t reward them for leading the ‘tori battle pais! the rebel ores, Control of this caste soon incomes Wath obserson, and already he is struck by the thought that one would be truly invulnerable he could coma the {ore hich isthe aly means of access to the caste In a moment thecrared hores bust through the underbrush onto a small leat Ing that glowe with an unholy light. Here, surrounded by heaps (earcaes aid hones 9 chalkwhte, sens, ageless demon ts Spinning Toom end chanting the prophecies shat eventually drive F limate dae hewn The fored is Washipss mind] As his ambitions reveal tis no longer controlled by Ws Tod, Fs lord is therefore Culnefale but no ores thn the doomed Washizu whose post ow i omially sme acca this muh. pms cl et Hm akets{his aby to imbue place with such dep orl arth lac lien secs fo ake charge ad stUCtOT Te] to conic ths sounds ike far desertion ol whal calle ihe tae ison] am not suggesting Pt te place equals The "aor" ofa wor of af me are on the point For this press The ole Ta he ore play Ue ie atte centre of the im, Bu! seldom Find in film versions of an tne play "A sable porn of Throne of Blood is devoted othe triying spectacle of Wath (Macbeth waging war on te forest. In ane tended sequence nea he beginning he and Mik! (Banque) thunder through a dense murky forest om horse no lene frightened than they. (The fort ie referreé to a8 "The Labycinih and tnuch te made, here and Inter i the Bln, of the dficaty of finding one ‘way outfit} Washi is clearly the lade: he wil ind» wy ou Tore cannot bear the reve of dread and helpesiness he fee be fovethe bind pts, the anidentiae shrieks and moans he thu er ihn aod fog. He starsat hat he unk an ee pint trabeathes hie vor, and letting ost blood-curding ey, hal ‘efiant and half hysteria, he pnges into the dark wath MIE fol lowing him. The realty ofthis forests overweming It breathes, and sweats and twitches, and speaks in the unknoven tong ie ‘anya powerfia presence ae Washi ‘hat ie mast be, since for Wath thi fist encounter wih the] Irth mates Washi and ME arom their way To Fore ua Ti Wis simply netesary thal the lace come alive and hel shape tty titers no oni oo putea thee tol thecharactery experiences, pace remain mearinglest. And if {he place ie meaning so the im Avery pata example of theta ithe patted backdrop univers Olivers Henry Vt Inavifa novelist had ted to preserve The Rig ofthe Nieelunger ty ebjecivey reporting al he action, characters, dal, sd Sone cxaly they appear onthe sage, And then concided Fietark wth 2 request that we actually read hs work in ‘Troe of Bod, however place eons ah autonomous realty, Thehovss gallop trough he forest and Kurosawa always Theda mace of gare une and barren ranches galls wth them The whsle“the men and their horses the composition othe frame, the nrrtive, andthe theme eels galvanised by the SSIEK tnicw. Th aptes equally othe inerfors, whose simple {Rect onstiulee a worl within tat ofthe lt encompassing ghoul the im an, in the end, shattered |Toward the end be fore te forest moves. fle war counct between Washizu ar is ‘Spins Srown nto confsion by aoc af squealing Pats which audenty comes Happing into the all from the forest. Washiza 38SHAKESPEARE AND FILM understand only lao wll what this means. He screams for his ove (lt Richard It) andres forthe last ime to that unholy ‘String seking the assurances he could not obtain from ethers The forest, which isthe objection of Washi2v rind, Bot [Eoniols and contane the ation ofthe fm Tiny there arte tcllanoe coins 350 EET ONE er aati hoses ich anton so inpreay a the naeatve En ince caste afore They enable the director el hs story wih conor ance an dere ie etn he ‘THE HORSES 1 am cemindd hereof those wo sleepy ceeatres who might conaivaby hve crv ane unten chambers at were {Srcnntcad to hbourastount for babu a Banco ate ‘Rung of Welle gon the subject Not tht Wee should ‘ove made Korot Hm Gt we do have some Hehe to expect SS SHS for nama abo pre han Ey {Siingandpretesowsy sync tein he be surrounding the hares for sme ‘cermundnet oss vd ne ak hal Pon Nin a wh rnd a THRONE OF BLOOD ‘The sequence is typically Kucoraea i the cacalated violence of it ecalon Alte ation f sha rom a wor’reye view and sp eae ei fireabots ofthe rebels steeds andthe Sunned Sea chal oremnove om inmedsately tothe ln’ loose cou ree SE Macdll, Norio, who aking off undercover ofthe era Mos ran Mik of is suspicions The narcative takes 2 ae ep forward and nothing Tet Ranging. The brie te veer fore anything ut adacorative cinematic efiec, We already Tow he ot sequen tthe brag ta Kara 3) “ca on tal of Shakespeare [be ashale of nate] ‘Eeehaitte to mnoel trauma if as Tpe oF work and the morsl Trasmas hemaelver aoe of prod ae 40 unhinge ‘Ho utkcle of nature Kuronae's reat itis that he has the power wets maber to make ue experience this word. he had ted to SEINE fom the proces he thing that Shakespeare, working a5 2 aaa Sid if had given we reaction to the event nsend of ter eveything would bave Bee fost. We would have either play 908 fl evan luc another ting example, one for which Katosaea did nore Gsceseare's potential genian asa scenaritf0 26°78 thi, bythe way at he matter? That senile on Shakespeare ov asa senarst whose vision A TREE own, gel ROVE ow-» maker of pentameters!) Sine etiten because ofthe popheces, fo throw Gms fot with ae ere though he scan of Warhiea’s gull He 08 2 Maret ishio's new residence, Forest Cate, The sequence Bee fu Washizfs chamber, with Cady Washizu playing the ole of Sra Mele, She doce not trust Miki and knows that Washi SEE iher to ae give voice to what he desires yet reads even SOE oft other murder: We cut immediately Irom Washi’ toes panied face to the courtyard, where Mis hore Feeeety eee eeme tobe going mad te chargt, around the rors reuse toler the aroom sade Mik som ite cous ans bod omen ard plea with hs father ott ide Forth es tersoa butt stay forthe banquet and ten ois afar he aa ee RUM Taupe tht off ae chlishnes, but no 2000er re omnes the horse Himeel! than we cut toa shot of Te ceestyand taken from the ramparts, of the cet tis might TRASn ad the courtyard for aay and iin the lover left-hand are adj the famess deserted i's men are seated up ere i. 345cir dicusing in hashed tones the strange rn of events during thelat few day, Suddenly they fll alent. They bear something ih the dstace It becomes loud and finaly Adelie eat he sound of» galloping horse. The shot held a moment longer, fa long enough forks beta white alin ome Seng nto {he courtyard, Mele. ‘The ct to Wasizu a the bangs Washi, of couse. spaying no attention fo the entrainment [anus he ean stop aaping at the one empty act he al “This pesage, which aus no more than threw or four ounuts i fam naretive its moat eloquent. Karonaw edie wth atin ering istics fr clipping each ston atts climax 30 tha el Feverberate thrcaghout the whole, and movement and placement tvthin the frame are sways obliquely atthe service ofthe sory. But the sequence is ao aoteworthy beease i allows us to each Kacosswa nthe act of narrating what Shakespeare dramatied, andin doing revealshow greatly fm naratve depends on te ‘material componnt ofthe wold being Sept Keres bul the ene sequence stud the reactions of Mikfs howe. The movements of this short-circuited creature ae Tesponsie forall he charactenscelipgs in he navrtive hey Sy ceerything that has to be sid en Washiews oven body and face take over spin atthe Banque. Atte sme tine, hey neces tate doing aay with much of te play. The elaborate preparations ith the murders, and ven the mares resume ence Ie cnemate mati), oe eared Ress ae ae] Event Tee cane Wort Rew crea ead Cong Forse Te Bosra acer of Ue caracor] nine roaghaur the iad 9 Mfe-oF Tha owns And The jporany thy ded thatthe n-natr ahr ot op he ilmmaker is relly making io an ot ut ming 9 a hes only too wing to accede ae ‘Altspearanes othe contrary, Tam not arguing forthe hore pea notion ffm sete, Silver too, reg when there tule the a, but who Basi ad the get ste hi mute? ‘One does not red horses, or chases, or even the snleahing of stupendous natal forces whone mans cane hated cous the Screen, in oder to make Simi is: One thing thats ndapen {ble though, the abt to convince the spetator tha Ihe au 346 faces of body, face, and place brite with nerves, and that the aynapusbeleen the three generate the meaning and control the structare ofthe film. Kurosawa doe this spain and again 0 Throne of Blood I hope eis clear thot what he does bears no rel tion to sich things ae Olislers desperate attempt the end of Henry V toad a dash of "cinema! tothe revi i the for fat ‘uine enravaganea ‘THE CHARACTERS Probably the most radical result ofthis transformation from play to lim isthe total absence rom the ater of Shakespear's dion ‘That Kurooewe's characters in Throne of Blood speak Tapanese i nly hal the pont, The other and inore important half that they a only whe they can COMMUNES fr aTY-GWREr Way] and Oper ie langunge ft ee onndorsed- brats Seno he eone ca tell from the subtle, Shakespese' poy Fo nat ust tanalated and trimmed, but gone In our dessin ofthe {rest and the horses wes sone ofthe things thal take is place There it wor bet fo concentate om the fundamental sialarty of she problems facing Macbeth and Washzu But the fl’ sero lous avoidance of Shakerpeares veree i closely related to some qualy fundamental differences i plot and characterisation These “Uiferences deserve stetion becouse they tae deeper ito the ‘gestion of how character developed in a film, and they may tren provide sme bas fora speculation on what types of chars ter if any, ace most waitable tthe med. Fae sve sick ad oe How tener ete ab that it m= Fooul while ito sang iy face Hace plucked iy ipl frm ons gs, (An dashed he bac ha 0 sor oH Such the chilling eloquence that Shakespeare uses build the character of Lady Macbeth Lady Wathau, however, denied hi mode of el-expreson. Shes endowed isead with a purely phys ical power, one that reaches fa beyand (although it nclues) the Immediately vnble gesture A shor time Belore the action ofthe oarSHAKESPEARE AND FILM fim opens, sh conceives Washizu's child. This pregnaney becomes the pitchfork with whch she goade er husband info carping out his evl intentions, and she needs fw words to exploit her advan tage. The child who was to have been the ultimate benefcary of the plot to kil the king and Nii, Becomes with Lady Waste’ miscarriage one ofits victims, and bythe same token an incare ton ofthe plt itself Alter Wahu gai contra of Forest Can, dy Woshizv set out this perverse elit tit by dancing, anne ith oy nthe room where the King as murdered, But the pee res of appeeachingfasure son bring on the misearriag, Which inturn precptates Lady Washiz’s nervous breakdown (The couse of Lady Washiz’s madness ie one of Kurosavals mow bela adtions to te story] the mad scene she spy Rude in the ime of her empty chamber scrbbing her hands and whimper. ‘ng We nether ace nor hear sf ber agai alee mentoned the her’ iid ut ieacherous imagination Yet one would be hard pressed to find much evidence of vivid wee are given fa barage of nd theta 7 feapes, grunts, shrieks, and sorts: Some Th his reaction to the lors. There ls more ‘When Mili host appears to him athe Bangaet—that I docs ap rar is alifo germane fo the question at hand-~he efoggers all he vey acon th fall and ack the spasmodi Unido hi leet crouches in a corer of the ramparts unable to believe his eye ith great effort he masters the courage to try to enbolden fis sen Pacing the rampart ike caged lon, he rose doe into the Teelied crowed, (The camers i placed weil beneath hin hee and ‘pare sntradly Back and forty Imitating Ne nervous motion) Bat his men have had enough The forest ha moved and this cen ture’s doom screams at them with his every gesture, no mater ho ‘rane They dra their ow nd tn them on thet maser, deny ing him the honour of dying. ae Macbeth di, with “harnex om hax tack’"The rel is graesome fori some ine before Wahi, Nowling and viking eth dosent of arowe stuck in imi ‘aught inthe neck, He alls (i she motion) inte the couryard snd 1s body, hich ems a fil never stop bouncing ase Mage clouds of dust. The ene army backs of Fearing tht the demon ‘may not have been completely exorled thas, though, and when {he body Hall comes to rest, the film end. Ii seems to me that the main consequence ofthese various tans formations thatthe groterque rayprocement between the Bun {nd animal Kingdon coma to but ork ove complete Throne of Blood than in Macbeth. Essential the sane thing fae pens to both heroes, but this could not have been expresed l= ally ness Macbeth were tansormed into 8 more intnctive, tote physi, creature, one for sehom the moral dimension of tehavlour exists But seldom croses the threlold of conceptual ination ito verbal poety, ne into philosophy Senstive than Maco al no les ova bc lieate Japamse arc sl Thrgh ‘ont Torte nar’ wemendour violence fe cashes inc te wall Dig FOr best i ees Wal UF OF Tels sockets. The bonguet ry he mst oF care oom ends and one of the murderers sepers that iis son has ‘scape: Thesticken Washi kills him onthe spt without ying 2 word he screams, Flings the sword away, and tele eat of the room We are ean to fel hee tha the powers of the forest are "saul the rage order of interior that are not realy interiors tall, but merely veneer Flimsy defences against the bestlty suthin, Althoush the faclty of speech sues him, this I what ‘Waris fees and excesses with every bone in hie bod ‘Weare never allowed to forget the hero's priztive physicality. When Wochiautnaly slimes the ores moving he shudders ard ais ion rd perhaps not ult the classical tagic hero that Macbeth iti ‘Even atthe news of the miscariage and a the sight of hit de ranged wife, even in hs attempt atthe end to rally is men, mesh ings for him remain locked inthe phyiaoplal symone. Given Macbeth eloquence, Wash might have suceeded dying more nobly, th “harnen on his Hack" But this to conse the a ‘haracters. For Washis's character i controled inthis niportant fespect bythe reguiements ofthe mediurn. His men turn on him tecbuse his body and ace swesome as they ar inthis inl ater a9SHAKESPEARE AND FILM to command ano conc hisavareess of hi imminent desc ton Wasi i amp not arcaae evough ene Uy mente aft Saal apc hes teen Pens tndhangetan Ihe vwere he wuld ax poe eee image ot hed siting tat Karena shel Soe tae Badr him othe ramparts ina vee ef eens Inyo tho tom be cane! hp at eve Ral ‘Ais ioner tony that Wesha annt nk Tepe tht he thine in mice hen Mba hea 2 oa ath he dene the Fomor spach begining Sonoran tenor anime Hashce ietig ae ni, ‘fame crpat fhe aloft oly hei ae ee therm As ehlebig ns ane mateo eave he cham ein hin ther, Hc tne eee alee RS By dopo Be ior Pcl he crs ea Tes a he ea wordshe peat Ocepying hee wt as eda they ate to te be he sur an he oe Rene tots his agin soto lone tine. ss good os mean irate hela of Mactth ded to mont gre mete] tod Waste he TF Lay Sate ee fsshon The ita av the ellod oft Hen. es them means ving hte ald Roe see As forthe lone sacs, hey eeve much these kindof scent ct Novas) nan mre eel bese theproces bebe acy ne soguncebe Seo ete as wenger Ainayh tes penmmbly sme te nee mae Fors Conteh en ar e nec ate Mi of RE Suipone we ee: re him iin One wauk os ak ste of he cal scion on be bos psi an sade ae Setiey ae Hach ear be coal ethene ea ‘betes buamsn tres cae eal mcd a Ceim but wed eon atte ssl pleat oa ee ‘hich arena Sd ee eprom ie fen as Gay find notin se plea machine he ae betayal that Washers ma ae forced we eee arse a Ths indeed a primal nc suain te Se ee fae Stechog te yo Tcl) ant reenet ot 350 placement ofthe old king this the film sms even closer tothe Dionysian coats of tragedy than the plays and scene als to dee scend, ins own way, jst as deply ste the darker sie of urn ‘ature and relationships In hi search for the suraces he needed 3¢ 2 Elmar, Kurosawa had chip some ofthe rt of istion ‘ff the drama, Macduff (and Malcolm) weee part of that crus “Folens sat Tian vot he reading. “Words, words