Throne Of Blood Blu-Ray   British Film Institute

New restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s astonishing film that’s considered to be one of the great adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

A truly remarkable film, Throne of Blood manages to combine beauty and terror to produce a mood of truly haunting power. Starring the irrepressible Toshiro Mifune as the doomed warlord Washizu and a wonderfully creepy turn by Isuzu Yamada as the Lady Macbeth-inspired Asaji, the film shows Kurosawa's familiar mastery of atmosphere and action combined with the savagery of war.

Extras

• Newly restored in 4K and presented in High Definition
• Introduction by Sir Ian McKellen (2016, 2 mins)
• Introduction to Throne of Blood by Mamoun Hassan (2012, 7 mins): the late writer, director, and producer introduces a screening of Akira Kurosawa’s film at the BFI Southbank
• Audio commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck
• Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create – Throne of Blood (2002, 23 mins): this documentary about the making of Throne of Blood features interviews with Akira Kurosawa, production designer Yoshiro Muraki, Noh performer Mitsuhiro Honda (from the Konparu School), and actress Isuzu Yamada
• Macbeth (1945, 16 mins): two scenes from Shakespeare’s famous Scottish tragedy, with Wilfrid Lawson and Cathleen Nesbitt as a fine murderous duo
• Original trailer
• **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with writing on the film by Alex Barrett, an essay on Kurosawa’s adaptations of Shakespeare by Ben Nicholson, Kurosawa on Throne of Blood (1964) and an original review
• All extras are TBC and subject to change