Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城 Kumonosu-jô, Spider's Web Castle, 1957; Japanese)
Written and Direction by: Akira Kurusawa
Since I have not been lucky enough to endowed in an environment splashed with culture and art, nevertheless, I try to educate and enrich the right side of the brain through the back door.
Instead of reading and digesting the moth filled papyrus scrolls, I choose to watch movies instead.
Through my latest escapade, I managed to venture into Shakespeare's darkest tragedy, Macbeth. This, I discovered about watching Kurosawa's 1957 offering of 'Kumonosu-jo', which is quite closely based on the former. The story is set in the 16th century feudal Japan, a tumultuous and violent times indeed.
Washizu and Miki are victorious generals returning to meet their Lord in Spider's Web Castle through a fog filled forests only to be lost and to come face to face with a spirit. Unprovoked, the spirit foretold their futures, that Washiku would be a Commander and subsequently the Lord of Spider's Web Castle and that Miki be a Commander of another fort, a short life but his son would be the Lord of the Castle! They laughed it off only to realise that the first prediction came through.
Washizu confesses the event to his wife, Asaji. Asaji proved to be the evil one, masterminding all of Washizu's subsequent moves. Washizu, in spite of his masculine prowess, seem powerless in front of his wife. The conniving wife prods him further and further to kill and con his way to ensure that the prophecy of the spirit actually materialises.
Washizu actually wants to name Miki's child as his successor after he becomes the Lord of the Spider's Web Castle, after killing the present, no thanks to Asaji's impish plans. But then Asaji becomes pregnant, shelving the plan. The pregnancy ends up as a stillbirth and Asaji has post partum depression.
The carnage goes on. Even Miki is killed on Washizu's orders. The guilt of Wishizu takes its toll on Asaji. Even Washizu's man mutinied against him and shot him down when the castle was attacked by enemies.
The whole show is acted in the traditional Japanese drama style called Noh where actors do not show much emotion but wear a pale face. It only further adds on to the hopeless and melancholic life that feudal society is leading.
The philosophical look in history shows that every civilisation goes on to the next level through violence either through nature's wrath - clash of asteroid, volcanic eruption, earthquake or global warming; or through wrath of men himself (war, fire, famine). Fear of the unknown or paranoia of malady is a strong stimulus for man to plan for his future. At the same time, spreading the fear of a life beyond the realm of conscious mind is another way to rein them to behave in a kind fashion to each other and hopefully peace can reign and the weak can survive.
Is our fate decided or do we decide our fate?
In 'Macbeth' and 'Throne of Blood', the prophecy of witches/spirit comes true. It can argued that the first prediction was due to materialise anyway as they were returning victoriously from they were supposed to do. Just because the first prediction came through, they is a human desire (greed) to make the subsequent predictions to materialise. Sometimes our actions are geared to make it a reality!
Written and Direction by: Akira Kurusawa
Instead of reading and digesting the moth filled papyrus scrolls, I choose to watch movies instead.
Through my latest escapade, I managed to venture into Shakespeare's darkest tragedy, Macbeth. This, I discovered about watching Kurosawa's 1957 offering of 'Kumonosu-jo', which is quite closely based on the former. The story is set in the 16th century feudal Japan, a tumultuous and violent times indeed.
Washizu and Miki are victorious generals returning to meet their Lord in Spider's Web Castle through a fog filled forests only to be lost and to come face to face with a spirit. Unprovoked, the spirit foretold their futures, that Washiku would be a Commander and subsequently the Lord of Spider's Web Castle and that Miki be a Commander of another fort, a short life but his son would be the Lord of the Castle! They laughed it off only to realise that the first prediction came through.
Washizu confesses the event to his wife, Asaji. Asaji proved to be the evil one, masterminding all of Washizu's subsequent moves. Washizu, in spite of his masculine prowess, seem powerless in front of his wife. The conniving wife prods him further and further to kill and con his way to ensure that the prophecy of the spirit actually materialises.Washizu actually wants to name Miki's child as his successor after he becomes the Lord of the Spider's Web Castle, after killing the present, no thanks to Asaji's impish plans. But then Asaji becomes pregnant, shelving the plan. The pregnancy ends up as a stillbirth and Asaji has post partum depression.
The carnage goes on. Even Miki is killed on Washizu's orders. The guilt of Wishizu takes its toll on Asaji. Even Washizu's man mutinied against him and shot him down when the castle was attacked by enemies.
The whole show is acted in the traditional Japanese drama style called Noh where actors do not show much emotion but wear a pale face. It only further adds on to the hopeless and melancholic life that feudal society is leading.
The philosophical look in history shows that every civilisation goes on to the next level through violence either through nature's wrath - clash of asteroid, volcanic eruption, earthquake or global warming; or through wrath of men himself (war, fire, famine). Fear of the unknown or paranoia of malady is a strong stimulus for man to plan for his future. At the same time, spreading the fear of a life beyond the realm of conscious mind is another way to rein them to behave in a kind fashion to each other and hopefully peace can reign and the weak can survive.Is our fate decided or do we decide our fate?
In 'Macbeth' and 'Throne of Blood', the prophecy of witches/spirit comes true. It can argued that the first prediction was due to materialise anyway as they were returning victoriously from they were supposed to do. Just because the first prediction came through, they is a human desire (greed) to make the subsequent predictions to materialise. Sometimes our actions are geared to make it a reality!
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