Throne of Blood

Japan, 1957 — Directed by Akira Kurosawa | 109 min.

A vivid, visceral adaptation of Macbeth, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood sets Shakespeare’s definitive tale of ambition and duplicity in a ghostly, fog-enshrouded landscape of feudal Japan. As a hardened warrior who savagely rises to power, Toshiro Mifune delivers a remarkable, animalistic performance, matched by Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife.

Throne of Blood fuses classical Western tragedy with formal elements of Noh theater to create an overwhelming cinematic experience — one of Kurosawa’s undeniable masterpieces, especially in this dazzling new restoration.

The screening will be introduced by Chassica Kirchhoff, DIA Assistant Curator of European Sculpture & Decorative Arts, who will discuss how the film’s extraordinary costume design connects to the current DIA exhibition Guests of Honor: Armor as Fashion.