Kurosawa's Adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth

Kurosawa's Adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth

Transposing a story from one culture to another is never easy, as has been proven throughout history by fairy tales taken from other areas of the world and brought to America by companies such as Disney. Over the years this nation has seen the mutilation of beautiful tragedies such as Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," for example. There are exceptions to this, however, as is shown by Akira Kurosawa's Japanese adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Due to his awe-inspiring directorial skills, he was able to morph the tale of the 16th century Scottish warlords into the form of the samurai warriors of feudal Japan. He stripped from Shakespeare's tale the universal messages of man and placed them in an entirely new setting, and added traditional Japanese elements to the story. Moods were conveyed through the use of heavy fog, imagery very apparent in Shakespeare's own version, as well as with the flutes of Noh, a traditional, exaggerated style of Japanese theater.

The ingredient of the Noh flutes certainly brought the play nearer to Japanese culture, which in turn made it more believable in its new setting. Kurosawa also dressed the players in the costume of the ancient samurai warriors, including the various-sized lunar disks on the helmets, katana swords, and the uniquely designed armor. Characters such as Lady Asaji, who are dressed in timely garb and makeup that display everyday styles for noble women, add to the vividness of the film.

The theme from the actual play written by Shakespeare reflects a core value in Japanese society, which probably m...

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...on is also quite memorable. As opposed to having Macduff's counterpart act as the catalyst for Washizu's demise, Washizu's own soldiers turn on him, riddling his body with arrows. For a ruling samurai, or shogun, this would be the ultimate symbol of defeat. Toshiro Mifune, the actor that portrayed Washizu and a recurrent performer in Kurosawa films, actually allowed for off-screen archers to shoot arrows within inches of his body in order to capture the terror that Washizu would have experienced.

Kurosawa was completely successful in adapting the British play for a Japanese culture and audience. Before the film was over, it had been proven time and again that Akira Kurosawa not only substantiated William Shakespeare's Macbeth, but that perhaps Kurosawa breathed life into the play that Shakespeare and, later, his supporters had never been able to.