SHAKESPEARE IN KUROSAWA’S FILMS
In this paper, I would like to speak about two prominent works of one of the most famous and recognized movie directors of the twentieth century, Akira Kurosawa and his films “Throne of Blood” and “Ran”.
First of all I would like to give a brief overview of Kurosawa’s outstanding persona. Akira Kurosawa was born on March 23rd, 1910 in Tokyo. His father was a principal of a junior high school, and his mother came from the merchant Japanese family. After graduation from high school in 1928, in future worldwide famous movie director, wanted to become an artist and submitted the exam to enter an art school, but failed. However, during next several years, Akira’s paintings were accepted for different exhibitions. 
The major step in his life Kurosawa made in 1936, when he applied for recruiting an assistant director of PCL and entered PCL. His first job was as the 3rd assistant director. However, talent and diligence made their job, and in year and a half Akira Kurosawa joined as a chief assistant director to Kajiro Yamamoto's "Utsukushiki Taka". In 1940 he wrote his first scenario called "Mizuno Jurozaemon". In 1943 he directed the first movie, "Sugata Sanshiro", which was the first stone of a sky-scraper built by a prominent director during his career. 
After fourteen years of productive work, in 1957, the movie “Throne of Blood” was released. This film was bases on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. In spite of the numerous opinions that all attempts to cut a movie with Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play” put in the foundation are subjected to definite failures, a genius of Kurosawa found a way to avoid disappointments. He simply moved the action from Scotland to feudal Japan, changed their names, and added some features to the characters, leaving the plot unchanged. As a result, Akira created one of the best movies ever made on the basis of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”.
Naturally, this movie received both admirations and criticism. Mainly disparagements were based on both the fact of adoption a Shakespeare’s theme, and the fact of moving the action to Japan. Certainly, there is no argument about the fact that Kurosawa has made a lot of changes in his movie, comparing to the play, written by Shakespeare, however, all the themes employed in the play are there. The characters are also reflections of each other; the only differences are the names. 
Stand in character for Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the movie, is Washizu (played by Toshiro Mifune), Lady Macbeth is represented by Lady Asaji (performed by Isuzu Yamada), the reflection of King Duncan is seen in the character of Kurosawa’s Miki. The thing that must be undoubtedly mentioned is that even though the movie by Akira Kurosawa stands on its own ground, the ideas are absolutely correspondent to the “Macbeth” of William Shakespeare. 
Even the name of the movie “the Throne of Blood” speaks for itself. As well as in Shakespeare’s work, in the movie we find that the manipulations of Lady Asaji toward her husband (as well as the ones on Lady Macbeth in the play), lead him toward the murder. The same actions we observe when Macbeth is killing King Duncan. Certainly, that is true that the movie makes more sense if the spectator is aware of the content of Shakespeare’s play. In this case it is easier to see the parallel of the betrayal, the paranoia, the madness and all the scheming that is taking part in the movie. 
The feelings of the main characters are quite the same, even though we find some differences in behavior lines of some of them. For example, if Lady Macbeth is unhidden violent, Lady Washizu communicates her terrible desires in a thoroughly calculated, almost peaceful manner, with unflinching equanimity, which horrifies even more. As far as feelings of Macbeth and Washizu throughout the actions, I cannot find words that describe it better then a quote from Shakespeare’s work: “Whence is that knocking? — How is’t with me, when every noise appals me? What hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.”  This passage illustrates fear and inner conflict that Macbeth in the play, and further Washizu in the movie are experiencing because of the murders that they have committed in the name of their vainglory and blind struggle for power. Both characters are feeling guilt for the blood that is on their hands, which they are unable to wash away. 
However, a movie that can be literally named the apogee of the work of Akira Kurosawa was released twenty eight years after “the Throne of Blood” was made. The film named “Ran”, which literary means madness or chaos, brought him more fame and recognition then all his works put together. It also took a director ten years to think over all the details of the masterpiece. Kurosawa doubted whether he would ever be able to find the necessary funding for this movie, and as a result, eventually he received financial help from one of his admirers, French producer Serge Silberman. Till the present moment this movie is rated as the most expensive movie ever made in Japan. 
This film, as well as the one that I have discussed previously, is based upon the Shakespeare’s play. In the foundation of “Ran” Kurosawa had put “King Lear” by William Shakespeare. Again, this was not a simple screening version of the play. Once more Kurosawa has taken the action and moved it to the feudal Japan, substituted the names of the characters, added some features, took some things away, put a talented effort… and the result was outstanding. In 1986 the movie was nominated to four sections of the Academy Award. 
As I have mentioned before, the plot and the theme of the movie and of the play remained unchanged. As well as in “the Throne of Blood”, the names of the characters were changed and the statuses were restructured to fit into the environment of the feudal Japan. In the movie, aged Lord Hidetera (in stand for King Lear) decides to divide his land between his three sons (in stand for three daughters of King Lear). As well as in the play, Lord is flattered by two elder sons, and gives his favor to them, while banishes younger son for speaking the truth. At the same time the feelings that the youngest son has toward his father can be well-described by the words of Cordelia from the Shakespeare’s play: “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond; no more nor less.”  
In his film, Akira Kurosawa substitutes Shakespeare’s Fool by a character named Kyoami. In Kyoami the author of the movie expands the role of Fool. He also eliminates some figures of the play, such as for example Gloucester and his sons Edmund and Edgar. In “Ran” Akira also added a character of Lady Kaede, who represents the demonic opposite to Kyoami. She is considered to be a prototype of Goneril from “King Lear”; however, the role that she is playing in the story of Lord Hidetera is way more complex and important. 
The changes, provided by Kurosawa, not just work extremely well in his exceptional dramatic and philosophical formation of the story, it is possible to argue, that they also throw a revealing light on Shakespeare. “One example of this is Kurosawa's expanded, not to mention transgendered, Fool, who raises a host of provocative issues around gender roles, power structure, and what qualities might be necessary to survive in a chaotic world.” (http://jclarkmedia.com/film/filmreviewran.html) 
After going through a thorough analysis of both movies we can conclude that they have great number of things in common, as well as several differences. Well, first of all, both movies are based on Shakespeare’s plays. However it is an interesting fact, Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” first and after it he composed “Macbeth”, while Kurosawa did vice versa. Both names of the movies reflect the essence of themselves and Shakespeare’s plays. Equally two stories are moved by Kurosawa to feudal Japan and adjusted to its environments. In both stories, Akira Kurosawa changes the names of the characters, adds and subtracts some details and leaves it up to the spectator to draw parallels between his and Shakespeare’s works. 
Among the differences of these movies are certainly the costs of them, the time when they were released, and the level of fame that Akira Kurosawa received for them. As I have previously mentioned, the movie “Ran” has brought him a lot of recognition. From the viewpoint of critics, it was a perfect capstone to Kurosawa's entire career.
Works Cited:
1.	Sparknotes. Aug. 31, 2005 retrieved from: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/lear/quotes.html, http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/quotes.html.
2.	Leibowitz, Gabe. “SPOILERS ABOUND!” Cinema Center. 2003. Aug. 31, 2005 retrieved from: http://www.ecinemacenter.com/throneofblood.html.
3.	Zyber, Joshua. “Throne of Blood”. DVDFILE. Jul. 26, 2003. the Criterion Collection. Aug. 31, 2005 retrieved from: http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_7/throneofblood.html. 
4.	Jclark Media. “Ran (King Lear)”. May 17, 2003. Jim’s Film Reviews. Aug. 31, 2005 retrieved from: http://jclarkmedia.com/film/filmreviewran.html.