---
title: "Throne of Blood: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood"
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Throne of Blood (1957): what the critics said

Critics' score 83 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative.

All eight reviews are positive, with most critics praising Kurosawa’s adaptation of Macbeth for its atmosphere and its translation of Shakespeare into a Japanese setting. The praise centres on the visual storytelling: camera movement, eerie sets and charged imagery make the struggle for power tense and unsettling. Several reviews regard the film as an unusually successful screen adaptation, finding that the move to feudal Japan gives the tragedy force rather than merely a different backdrop.

The differences are chiefly in the strength of the enthusiasm, with scores ranging from 70 to 100. Radio Times acknowledges weaknesses in the dramatic structure but finds the atmosphere powerful enough to outweigh them. Eye for Film offers a more qualified response, finding the film initially odd and sometimes difficult to follow, while still praising its visual imagery and eventual force; there is no outright dissent in this selection.

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating 5/5. 

Parkinson acknowledges weaknesses in the dramatic structure but finds the film’s atmosphere powerful. He particularly praises Kurosawa’s camera movement and the eerie sets.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ard14h/throne-of-blood/)

## Empire — David Parkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Parkinson presents the film as a serious contender for the finest Shakespeare adaptation on screen. He praises its atmospheric visuals and striking set-pieces, especially the invasion of Cobweb Castle by birds.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/throne-blood-review/)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 

Bradshaw regards Kurosawa’s take on Macbeth as a stunning interpretation of Shakespeare and a study of history, power and sexual politics. He particularly praises the film’s lasting force as a samurai adaptation of the play.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/78082/throne.of.blood)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 July 2009. 

Lane finds the film tense and charged, with an unforgettable release once it breaks free of the mist. He especially praises Kurosawa’s arrow-pierced final image of Washizu, which makes the tragedy feel dreamlike and absurd.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/07/20/the-worlds-a-stage)

## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen

Rating 4/5. 7 January 2014. 

Bowen praises the Criterion Blu-ray as a sterling presentation of a top-tier Kurosawa film. He singles out its improved image clarity, rich blacks and grain, and nuanced mono sound.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/throne-of-blood/)

## Time Out — RM

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available description presents Kurosawa’s adaptation as one of the few successful screen versions of Shakespeare. It praises the film’s achievement in translating Shakespeare to the screen.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/throne-of-blood)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 1961. 

The review is broadly positive about Kurosawa’s Japanese adaptation of Macbeth. It singles out the transposition of the play to feudal Japan as a strength.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1961/11/23/archives/screen-change-in-scenejapanese-production-of-macbeth-opens.html)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2001. 

The critic finds the film initially odd and sometimes hard to follow, but ultimately electrifying. He singles out its striking visual imagery, especially the memorable final death scene.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/throne-of-blood-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/throne-of-blood.md