Akira Kurosawa - Throne of Blood

0:00 Brad, it is once again Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. That's right. Last year we did Justin Lynn finishing the game, and we did John wu Hard Tard did. Yeah, this is our second you're doing this. You want to keep it going. Yeah, but let's go back a little old school and do a film by Akira Kirasawa is nineteen fifty seven samurai war drama Throne of Blood.

0:56 Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Film By podcast. I'm Jeff Johnson and I am Brad Kozo, and today we are arguably discussing I would say Japan's greatest. Director, Brad, I'd say most celebrated, definitely celebrated. Okay, Yeah, most celebrated Akira Kirasawa. Okay. So I'm gonna I'm gonna go ahead ask you the question then, because you know we talked about Kirasawa, you chose throwing a blood And my question, my first question to you before we even get into this, Uh, how did you first find out about throwing a blood? And why why was this your choice? Well, all the filmmakers that I admire always talk about the filmmakers Ammier and the one that always popped up was Kirasawa, and I had always heard about his influence on all the films that we loved, so I just I think it was during pandemic time. I needed stuff to watch, so some of those I believe there was a Kirosawa fest on TCM. I had the TCM app and I watched a couple of them, and out of all of them, I say, this one was my favorite.

2:03 I loved it, and I'm dying to find out what you thought about it. Well, let's cut the suspense because I'm gonna go ahead and say thank you for choosing this movie because I freaking loved it. I mean, I did not expect it to be so good. And the real shock for me, the real big surprise, this is Macbeth. Yeah, I mean, this is Shakespeare's Macbeth with a few liberties taken on Karrosawa's party made it. He made some minor changes, but I'm like maybe, I'm like fifteen twenty minutes into it, I'm like, why is this feel familiar? Why I've seen it?

2:46 Have I seen this? And I'm like, no, I definitely have not seen this, but I know I know it. And then it hit me and then it hit me a second time because you and I were talking about that new Denzel movie he just did, and you knew we were talking about Throwing a Blood and I told you. I said, yeah, I got checked this movie out, and you said, why don't you wait till after you watched them in Blood. I did not know that you were setting me up like that. So now I'm real excited to see that movie because I'm just full on, you know. I mean, I'm in a Shakespeare move. I'm wanting to see more Macbeth. But this movie, I'm gonna go ahead and say it. I think this is the best adaptation I've ever seen of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Would you agree to that or have you seen something better?

3:31 No, I'm actually gonna agree with you. I was going to bring that up because as I was watching it last night, there's just certain parts about it. I was like, there's no possible way that Jeff cannot like this movie. I was like, it was like no, I was like, there's just too many things in it that I know that he would enjoy. I was like that he he must like this film. But yeah, I agree with you, this is the best adaptation of Macbeth. The Coen Brothers version is very good, and I know that there's a lot of versions that I would like to see. I know, Roman Polatinski did a version. Obviously, Orson Wells had done one, so and that's one of the reasons that he kind of stirred away from it and changing it to Thrown of Blood because Orson Wells's version was coming out around the early fifties.

4:19 I believe, Yeah, well, I know he This is just doing a little bit of background on the on the production. Kirosawa was a big fan of Shakespeare. He loves Macbeth, and then finds out that Orson Wells is doing it and it's coming out in nineteen forty eight, so he kind of postpones his Yeah, that's several years, and that's you know, we'll get into that a little bit here later. But for those for those people that haven't seen Thrown a Blood, for those people that haven't read Macbeth or seen one of its adaptations, what we're talking about, you know, the brief synopsis for Throwing a Blood. A warhard in general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become Lord of Spider's Web Castle.

5:05 I'm taking that right off of the IMDb website there, Brad, but pretty accurate nonetheless, right. Yeah, I mean the general and I believe that you said it's pronounced. Washaizu, Washaizu Washaizu played by Kirosawa's go to man, to Shira Mafune, And basically, yeah, like you said before, he's on his way back to the castle. He's confronted, you know, by a witch who prophesizes that he will become king in the North Castle and then will eventually send to the King of the Lord Spider Web. And when the beginning of that starts unfold, they start to you know, he starts to believe in that prophecy, and then of course power is something that people just can't refuse. And of course it just gets very bloody after that.

5:58 Absolutely it does. It's real bloody. You mentioned Uh Mufune is uh Kirasawa's go to guy. This is his sixth film, there's sixth collaboration out of like eleven total. He is absolutely you know what de Niro was for Scorsese, Yeah, is to Kirosawa, right. Yeah, I mean, he's a he's a pretty intense actor. You know, he's got a great face, a great you know, kind of somebody going mad, you know, someone a little bit crazy in some way, you know. I mean, he's got he's got a great face, and he's he looks very just, you know, fearless. You know, he seems like he because he everybody in this movie really goes for.

6:47 I like that you're talking about his face and his his ability to express emotion, because that's something I want to get into. I got something here for you, Brad h later later when we talk about the production, and it's going to tie right into what you just said about his face and his ability to express So, look, I love the film. You love the film, right, Yeah, I loved it. I mean, this is a This is one of those like I wish you know, you and I are such film buffs. We've always been like that since we were kids. I wish I would have had access to more Kirosawa when we were younger, because I'm gonna go ahead, ADM minute, and I know, I know I'm jumping the gun a little earlier talking filmography, but I've seen so few of his movies and now I'm excited to see more. So you know, I'll ask you a little bit about that, but let's talk about this cast a little bit. So we talked about Tashiro Mafune and not our first time actually talking about him right now.

7:53 We talked about him in nineteen forty one or a Spielberg episode. Yeah, he had that small cameo in that. But you know, I want to see more of his work, and I know, you know, obviously I've seen him in a few things that Kiasawa did, But you're right, this guy is so expressive. I just wish it was a situation where we could have got more. I think, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think is nineteen forty one his only American film? I think the. Time, Yes, I believe it was his only American film. Okay, I would have loved to have seen more from this guy. Yeah, but he's not alone. Akira Kubu, who plays his best friend, his commander, well not his commander, but his like his sergeant. I guess you'd say, playing miky this guy's fantastic too in this movie.

8:43 Yeah. Yeah, but you know, you can see a little bit of the weakness in him, you know, not the you can see that his inability to take it a little bit further the way that you know Mifune would it just it definitely fits his character. Yeah, Well, the I think the character of Miki is he's happy being the the go to guy, right, He's happy being He's not ambitious, right, No, not in the way that uh is. Yeah, And I mean that's the whole thing about Macbeth though, like McBeth, Like you know, when you talk about like you know, some of the themes of Macbeth, you can't ignore it that it's all about when your ambition turns dark. You know, when there's a lack of morality, your ambition can can turn evil and right, and that's that's exactly what happens to Shaizu, but not so much Miky. Right, He's he's a happy, go lucky guy.

9:42 He just you know, yeah, but he's missing one thing that was Shaizu does have and that's Lady was Shaizu Asaji Suzu Yamada. And yeah, what a great Lady Macbeth role this woman has. I mean, she was she was very present, you know, It's like she was she knew how to tug his heartstrings. I'm gonna go ahead and say, oh, let's I'm gonna jump right in on on her performance. Maybe the creepiest performance I've seen in a long time. I mean just her her ability to emote or or her lack thereof.

10:33 She is so I mean, she's borderline scary in this film. Yeah. I don't like how she's just always like in the background, you know, staring off into the distance, just waiting to say something to egg him on and to you know, kind of. Provoke him, but with no emotion on her face, no emotion. Yeah, she's like a robot. She's saying like the most evil things with no emotion whatsoever. Yeah. I just, uh, hats off to a Susu Yamada because you think it'd be easy to do what she does in this movie, but it's not. And that was like one of my takeaways after it was over. I still, you know, I'm I'm getting ready for bed, and I'm turning out the lights and I'm like I'm looking in the corners, like waiting to see if she's like sitting there staring blankly you know, when you say something something you know haunting. Uh, definitely definitely like the like liked what she did with this. I know we got some other great actors in here. I know the one guy and I'm probably saying the name wrong. Uh played like New Year two? Maybe? Uh, big big guy in Toho Films does the did Godzilla and some other things.

11:49 Takashi Shimura. Yeah, yeah, see I knew, Yes he does. He absolutely does. Were you Okay? So we've talked about this being more or less it's Macbeth. Yeah, little background on the movie. Okay, So if you didn't know this, Brad. Thrown of Blood is the first of three movies that Kirasawa agrees to produce for Toho Films. Now you know, it's Thrown a Blood, it's Hidden Fortress, and it's Revenge. Not the Kevin Costn one that we talked about, but you know, probably still a pretty awesome, pretty awesome one. Now the cool thing here just talking about, you know, referencing Godzilla there. Second ago.

12:37 Thrown of Blood was supposed to be directed by a Shiro Honda, who did the nineteen fifty four Godzilla movie. Now Toho says this is already getting way too expensive. They insist that Karasawa has to direct all three of these movies, and that's why they're part of his philmography. Do you do you think we would have had you know, because you've seen the fifty four Godzilla? Do you think I haven't you what you haven't seen the original one? Okay, okay, well strike my next line of questioning. I wanted to thought what you would have thought of a Honda directed uh thron of blood. But we'll just we'll just move past that. Uh okay, So back to back to the face facial expression stuff. H Are you familiar with the the Japanese art form.

13:25 Called no no, the oldest surviving of the Japanese theater, which combines music, dance, and acting to communicate Buddhist themes. I I thought here, I thought, so, okay, well I will not be teaching you because it sounds like you are the master. But uh yeah, so this this uh no n o h uh as you said, it's this this form of dance drama very popular, much like kabuki in Japan. But uh yeah, so it's all about minimalist. The body movements, the set design, everything's really minimal. When you think back to throwing a blood, it definitely captures that no style, does it not? Yeah?

14:16 I mean there's a you never see very much like say, giant wide shots, except a few times. You know, they keep it very you know, simple hut, you know, no elaborate things. You know, even though the things they have, you know, the clothes, you know, especially for the women, are very clean. Impressed. It was like they're you know, they're in that one room. They still haven't even cleaned up the blood from the room. You know. Oh yeah, they're stuck. In there, you know. So yeah, it's a very minimalistic type of film. Yeah, I mean, I think the grandest set piece is the castle itself, which yeah, I know, they they started off, they're like, hey, we'll just we'll build a facade, you know, kind of keep it minimalist for the budget, not for the not for the the artistic expression of no. I thought it was cool to find out that the there was actually a US Marine Corps base there that helped them build the castle in Mountainlfiji. Yeah. So yeah, I mean, you need you need some help, you know, you're gonna call on good old uncle Sam. I guess, yeah, the US Marines helped build that castle. It's actual castle. Uh.

15:24 And it wasn't so much that you know, Kirasawa needed it. You to see it on Mount Fiji. Mount Fiji. You know, he liked it because he liked the the location because very gloomy, a lot of fog. The darkness. Really when it's dark, it really helps enhance the picture. And if you think about that, like there's there is like you know, the whole like the forest, you know, the this uh, this this scary forest that everyone's afraid of in the movie. It's a labyrinth. It's it is it's a labyrinth and it's uh and it's always foggy. I mean, but it's like it's almost like John Carpenter created this movie. Oh I love the fog look in this, Yes, you know how they're just you can't ever really see that much what's going on. Especially I think it's one of the shots and it might even be the opening shot that starts off just as fog and then it it somehow like superimposes to the castle. It's just like we weren't in the castle before, and then the fog appears and then it comes away and then you see the castle.

16:25 Is like, ah, what a great shot. Yeah, I'm watching a really I'm watching a great version of the high definition version of this and I'm like, what am I seeing? What? You know, You're right. The fog, it's it's it's almost like a character in the film. And I love the way it kind of gives you know, I was like, what am I looking at? What is this? What's about the what's about to happen? And all of a sudden, it just it breaks gives way to that castle, you know, the main castle. So yeah, this set design, it's minimalist in that no style. But when they when they go for it, they really go for it. Yeah that for us, you call it a labyrinth, and I know that's what the characters kind of referred to.

17:08 Yeah, they keep a labyrinth. Don't get lost in the labyrinth. And that's exactly what happens to Washaizu and Miki. Yeah, and uh, they encountered this, this evil spirit, this witch. Yeah, and now you think of her. You said that Assaiji was the creepiest person in this movie. This witch creeped me out every time. The voice and everything was so creepy. Now you know, they they did switch. You know, originally it was supposed to be three witches and Makebeth. They switched to one. I don't care. This woman is this is awesome. Yeah, the the witches, you know, Yeah, we got the three witches in Macbeth. We got the one in this I like that Kirasawa if you if you, if you caught this, Brad, he's the witches is using that that she's spinning that loom, you know, uh, which which is like, you know, it alludes to the the threads of fate, you know, in Greek mythology. So which that's why he that's why he has that there, he has the witch using that, you know it's a reference. Uh I honestly, and I'll admit this was at a point where I'm still not realizing I'm watching Macbeth. So because of that voice that the witch has, I'm assuming it's like just a weak old man like in this hut. And then when I get the closer shot and I see it's this, this creepy woman, this witch. That that voice. You know,

18:42 when you hear a when you hear a heavy voice like that coming out of a small feminine character, it makes it scarier. I think, yeah, she sounds like that. Yeah. As soon as I as soon as I realized I'm looking at a woman, I immediately thought of Reagan and the extra with that, with that demonic voice, coming out of her. Ugh, just not a fan. If you and I are ever lost in the woods and we come across that, I'm just I'm heading the other way, Bob. Do you feel that the woman looked like Okay, you mentioned Reagan and the exorsies, but I felt she looked like when when Karris looks over there and he sees his mother on the bed and she's in this.

19:22 Weird kind of like. Yeah, that's why I think he looks like. And I've heard Friedkin talk about how he loved Kirasawa, so I'm wondering if that shot was to kind of do you think, Yeah, I think he used that as one of his influences. I mean, I can't be for sure, but if you put those side by side, you know. Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that. Well, let's talk about a couple more references. So one of the first things I noticed, because this is, you know, we're dealing with samurai. They're all they're all galloping around, They're all running around with like these banners attached to their backs. So the uh sashimono, which are you know, the banners worn by samurai. Uh? I found this interesting. So uh Miki's banner is the the reference of the rabbit, which in Japanese culture definitely alludes to fertility. And when you think about the prophecy that the witch says, you know, with that his son's gonna one day rule and all this, his banner kind of gives way like who he is, right, you know, uh, same thing with was Shaizu. His is the centipede, and in Japanese culture, centipede is known as evil, which would you know, allude to his his descent into uh into darkness, Yeah, to dark Yeah, I mean he's he's certainly helped along by assagy Hish, his creepy wife.

20:49 But but yeah, I like that. I like that Kirasawa uses a lot of imagery to tell you he's he's he's exactly. He's showing you everything that this movie's about without telling you unless you know. Yeah, And I think that that definitely helps for an audience that's watching a foreign film to them, you know, anything that is considered foreign to them. There are so many elements Senoto where you don't have to really you don't have to even read some of the subtitles. You know, there's a lot of symbolism in there that you can kind of get. You know, this is a movie where you probably don't have to read every little bit of subtitles.

21:30 You know. There's so much great imagery to go with it as well, you know, and a lot of a lot of long shots. The one in the forest of Miki and with Shaizu, you know, being stuck in the forest goes on what felt like a really long time, you know, but you still get that sense of no matter what, there's no way out. You know, it's just like they're just stuck in this this really dark spirit world. You're absolutely right, and I think, you know, at least watching it does go on what feels like a long time, and you start to feel a little lost yourself. Watching, Like, I got to a point where'm like, it wasn't It wasn't a moment of hey, this SHOT's too long. Cut you know, you need to cut to the next scene.

22:14 It was more like, okay, I went out. Yes, I really felt like I was with him on the adventure. Yeah, you feel like you're trapped too. You're like, I can't get out. Really good, really good way to use the camera, I think the prophecy Brad Yes, you know, he goes home, he tells his wife, and she wastes no time saying, hey, not at all. Let's let's speed the process up. Why don't you go ahead and murder the king? And then you've got it all, you know, because you know, there's two parts of this prophecy, the which says, hey, you know, for your deeds in battle, you know, the king, he's going to give you the castle, and he's going to give you know, miky you know, command of the first fortress.

22:58 And they're all excited, and then she but then the second part of the prophecy. You know, one day you'll be king and one day Mickey's son will want here at the castle. So it's like, okay, well I don't this is and I know we're talking Macbeth, but why can't we just leave well enough alone? You know. Yeah. The wife's all like, well, why don't you go ahead and kill the king so you can just get to the castle now. And he's like, uh, you know, he's talking about honor and that's treason, you know. Yeah. He's like, well that's how he got it, you know. Yeah, yeah, she she throws out some interesting points. She's like, well, she goes, well, you know, First of all, why shouldn't you desire it? You're just as strong, if not stronger, than many of the warriors in the village, So why shouldn't you who is completely capable of running the show?

23:50 What kind of want that? And hey man, he got where he was because he basically did the same thing. So if anything, you're doing him a favor. You know, you're you know, you're you're doing you're doing yourself a favor. You know, she's you know, she's a pretty good talker. She she she talks a good game. That is definitely true. The only problem to this is the second half of the prophecy. You know, what do you do when your best friend's son will one day, you know, take your place. Now, he's he's got a good way to look at it at first, before he's before he's really buying into what she's selling. You know, he's like, well, I will name him as heir since we don't have a kid. Yeah, it's okay, we don't have a son.

24:31 Yeah, but then then guess what I'm pregnant, you know. Twist, yeah, twist. So what do you do, Brad? Your best friend will one day, you know, his son will take over but now your wife is saying, no, I've got a child. You gotta you gotta make some hard decisions here, because you know, Miky's son cannot inherit this castle because you know we your son will have it. What do you what do you do? You know this, this is the price you pay when you deal with the dark lords, you know, I guess. So you have to make those decisions. But yeah, he he just kind of keep thinking. All these good things keep happening to him, and he can only kind of think this must be for some reason. So he's just he's going with it. You know, everything's happened so far and things are getting better, and he feels good, you know, he feels good about the power. He feels strong and powerful.

25:28 You know, he's like, I've already gone that one step by taking out the king, you know, and they if I know, well, how's Lady Lordship doing? Oh well she she's already killed herself. Well I might as well just keep. Going exactly, Brad, I'm gonna go on record here and and go ahead and say that I'm naming your son heir to everything I've got because you know, I don't have a wife, and I definitely don't have a child, So now should I get married? And should should she have a baby? That I guess you've got something to worry about. But no, it sounds like you have something to worry about the way this story actually ends up. Oh my god, you're absolutely. Because you know Mieky's air comes back and you know Unleash's Unleash's Hell, yeah he does.

26:18 He absolutely does such a good movie, brad Let's you know, we could probably talk a while about about throwing a blood, but do you want to talk a little bit about its its creator? Uh? Yeah, Kirosawa himself. Yeah, but do you know what he got for us? So give us a little name? Sawa He nineteen ten to nineteen ninety eight. I mean he made I think directing was thirty four films and he was, like I said before, a huge inspiration on probably your favorite directors of all time. You know is they're frequently copied, you know, by American and European Seven Samurai was turned into the magnificent semit Yo Jimbo, you know, was a fistfull of doers, and even Sergio Leone got in trouble because he did not get the rights to Yo Jimbo, you know, before he did it, but eventually he did, and later on, you know, a couple of other films like Last Man Standing, Walter Hill film with Bruce Willis. You know, I don't some people notice, but his film The Hidden Fortress a sort of inspiration on Star Wars. Star Wars but just kind of halfway, according to George Lucas. But if you watch The Hidden Fortress, you will see a lot of Star Wars stuff in it.

27:41 But what Lucas pointed out the most is the two characters in a Hidden Fortress that mirror see throughp on R two D two. Those are the ones that he connects with. Now, I haven't seen all of his films. I've only seen like four, kind of the main ones. But it it after you see kind of the main four the that I've seen, I've seen The Fortress, Yo, Jimbo, the Seventh Samurai, and and this one. But he was a huge, huge amorre admirer of John Ford. He said even when he met Ford, Ford told him he said, he says, Wow, you really like Rain, don't you. And he goes, thank you, mister Ford, because you've obviously seen a lot of my films.

28:27 Yeah, a lot of you know, from what I understand, there is the the look of rain, you know, the elements of of weather. It's always that. It kind of makes an impact in a lot of his movies, right, I mean it has a supernatural Yeah, it does have a supernatural kind of feel. And I often wonder, like, because, uh, what didn't he begin before he was a director, Before he kind of went into filmmaking, he was a painter, right, because doesn't isn't he known for for doing storyboards for all his movies, but like kind of elaborate storyboards. I think, like like how Ridley Scott does is Ridley grahams? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, it's a Ridley Graham It's a it's a Kirasawa cut. Yes, Brad, let's let's talk. You know, you've you mentioned some of his his top stuff. I'm ashamed to say I've you know, I've seen Thrown a Blood obviously recently for the first time, and I've seen Seven Samurai. But there's so many movies of his that I have not seen, but I want to see. You said you did see the Hidden Fortress. You're talking about the Star.

29:29 Wars, Yes, the Hidden Fortress. What is nice right now is that HBO Max has a lot of his stuff on there. I believe. I think the four titles that I talked about, I think are on there, Okay, and I think a couple more too. There's a couple of films that he did later on that are like in like the eighties, like Ran apparently is really good that I would love to see. And I mean you can tell. I mean, when we did our episode on the Yakuza, you could tell, like, you know, Paul Schrader, Sidney pol you know, they were, you know, huge fans of hibs. So I mean, yeah, definitely. After rewatching this, I'm like, I kind of want to see some other ones. But every one of them i've seen I have enjoyed. There is not one. This one, I have to say, is my favorite. The seventh Samurai, I think is is usually the top one that everybody takes. But so far, out of the four i've seen, this one is my favorite though.

30:26 Okay, So for someone like me, Okay, so I obviously I've seen seven Samurai and throwing of blood, what's the what's the very next? Again, out of the four you've seen, you're not the expert, but what's the next one. What's the next must see for me? Like, what do I got to watch next? Because I noticed when I watched you know, you said HBO Max and that's where I saw Throwing of Blood. I quickly picked up that it was a Criterion collection. The one that I saw was So I'm assuming the Criterion you know, we love we love the Criterion stuff, Brad. I assuming they've got like a. A Kirasawa box set or I have looked at that and I forgot I've must have seen I'm sorry, I am wrong. I have seen five of those films. The other one that I have seen is Rassaman. I think you should watch Rassaman. It's a very interesting film with a very interesting taste take and you know, of course the stars, you know, Toshira, but it's a cool, dark type of film. But yeah, I would check out wrote Rochaman, Hidden Fortress, Yo Jimbo, Throwing of Blood, Sam Star. So far, they're they're all good. The one that I think I would like to see is just some of the other bigger ones, like like Ran and yeah, but this one's I had say, this one's my favorite. But they are still a lot of good ones, and like you said, when you watch them, you see other movies you're like, ah,

31:59 that's that, that's how we got that, or it just yeah, you see a lot of other director's influence in his films, which is fun. It's like you're kind of playing a game while watching the movie. I love doing that. I mean, I loved it with this one. Like you know, I'm sitting there and I'm like, it feels it feels familiar. Then I find out I'm seeing something. You know that I I've seen the story. I've heard this story before. I love I love I love that when we when we get that, and you're right. I remember the first time I saw seven Samurai, I was like, wait, this is this is Magnificent seven, And then I thought, wait, no, this came before Magnificent seven. So yeah, I mean, I think the great thing about someone like Kirosawa, and you said this earlier, his influence is is forever. I mean, it's it's always going to be.

32:46 Like a lot of the great directors that you and I love from the seventies and eighties, he's a big influence on them and even new directors. He's still influential. You know, his stuff is still like you see it in the movie. I think that's a I think it's a good I think that's a great tribute to someone like him. I agree, Yeah, I mean he's going to be around as an influencer for for many, many million more years. Well do you have a favorite scene? Ooh, yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and say my favorite scene was probably the ending. Yes, that was gonna be mine.

33:26 Okay, so we got to talk about this for a second, because you know, this is this is nineteen fifty seven. Yeah, and special effects they're there. They're just I mean they're not they're not amazing, but but they're still there. It blows me away that real swords and real arrows are used and shot in this movie, and this climactic ending where his army turns on him and they're firing arrows at him. Kisawa gets real archers, professional archers to fire are real arrows at t Shiro Muffune. And the only thing saving this guy's life is you know, you when you watch the movie and he's waving his arms all dramatically and you're thinking, you're thinking, for a second, maybe he's hamming it up a little too much. Yeah, the only thing saving his life is that he's he's basically directing the archers by these dramatic hand hand waving, arms waving that he's doing. He's like he's directing them to say, hey, I'm going here next, and they're studying his movements to know where to shoot the next arrows. Brad, you're you're an actor. Could can you do this on on on set?

34:35 If the director tells you like, hey, this is how we're gonna do it. I wouldn't have made it. That's all I know. I wouldn't have made it. No, I you know, I mean I I you know, you could probably try to convince me knowing, hey, this is these guys are professionals, they never miss I'm still gonna be a little worried. And I'm definitely gonna be worried. You know, early in the movie, when he kills you know, when they set the tone where he kills the king, he kills the guard, you know, but you know he the guard wakes up, you know, Asagi has has given them saki that's that's drugs. So they all they all pass out and he puts the bloody spear in the guy's hand and before the guy can even say anything.

35:17 I'm like, hey, I didn't do it. Yeah, he stabs him. Okay, so this is this is Tashira Muffune using a real sword and thrusting it at this poor guy on the ground. H turns out he the guy. Just for insurance, he places a block of wood up into his armpit, hoping that Muffune will hit the block of wood. Yeah, but Muffune, I mean, you talk. This guy is big, he's powerful, so strong. He splits the block of wood and still hits the guy, wounding him. That guy had a scar for the rest of his life because Muffune, you know, jab's a katana at him. And I'm telling you, man, I know.

36:00 Yeah, a great story to tell for years. He did. He did. I guess, I guess if you're Mufune, you know you you know, put on your your your sheet the Yeah, I've I've had real archers fire at me. Yeah, you know, like part of his arm waving you know some of the fake arrows you know that are on the they're they're on like string. Basically he's kind of like wiping the string. He's like he's like knocking the string away so you can't see the string. But I'm still like, when I watch that scene and he's being executed, I'm like, wait a minute, how I just watched the wood in that wall splinter when that arrow hit it. There's no way they could have done that in nineteen fifty seven. Yeah, that's that's that's gotta be real. And to find out it's real. Whoa. Yeah, definitely my favorite scene of the movie.

36:47 And as an audience member, once you're into this after he kills you know, the first Lord, so you're into this as an audience member knowing that there is going to be a downfall for this character. So it's a huge build up, and it builds and builds, builds, and you get this giant, dramatic, fantastic sequence of what feels like thousands of arrows, you know, all over the place. So just the build up, you know, is is definitely worth it the you know, the price at the end of the at the end of the. Day, I liked that I was kind of hooked in, you know, because even after I realized I'm watching me Beth, I kind of forgot I was watching me Beth. And you know, at the height of his power, he's he's at this point, he's killing off everybody to maintain his his stature. He goes back into the woods. He goes back into the forest to see the witch because he wants more. He wants to know. Okay, well now now what's going to happen. Yeah.

37:48 Now he's like, now he's demanding that. He's demanding of the evil witch, you know, the evil spirit, Like, what's what happens next? Who's going to stop me? And she proclaims not until the forest moves against the castle, will you? Will you fall? Which he's like, well that's ridiculous, you know the forest can't move. Yeah, he laughs it off. Right, So when you see the forest, when he looks out the h the embattlements and you see that the forest is actually in that creepy fog, the trees are coming at the castle. Yeah, his his his army is terrified, which is why they execute him, because they know they're about to get it. And You're like, and for a moment, I'm like, wait, you know, we've got an evil witch, We've got an evil spirit, Like is the is this like an evil dead thing or the wood's really coming alive?

38:37 I love the big reveal. It was just the army, you know, the invading army using camouflage more or less. Yeah, they're just they just cut down some trees and they were using them to hide their stuff. Like I love that moment where we the audience see that because he he never gets that, you know, he even with like fifteen sixteen arrows and him he's still trying to draw his sword. And yeah, as he falls down and dies, he's. Lost it, you know. Once he tells them, hey, I saw a witch in the forest. She told me this would happened, They're like, all right, he is, he's lost it. Get your arrows ready. Yeah, yeah, well, and I think the great thing, you know, it ends with that that no style of drama. You know, one of the big things, one of the big themes in that is is being denied salvation. And I love that creepy the creepy witch the song that she's singing.

39:32 We find out that his goat like he does, he does, he's not saved. He's he still walks among the forest. You know. Now he's a ghost, and yeah, you know he'll forever be haunted, forever be tormented. Love this movie, Brad again, thank you for recommending it. I was so happy to see it. I'm excited now to watch Rachaman and Hidden Fortress and see some of my other favorite movies. Uh done done the original way the way, Brad, like you mentioned, you mentioned he passed away in nineteen ninety eight. You know he did thirty four movies. What do you think about his body of working out? Could? I mean we you know, we like to talk about what would we want to see next? Obviously that's not going to happen. Would you want to see a remake of this of this?

40:19 I don't think so, because I think, especially with the Coen Brothers Macbeth, it's almost a combination of elements of this film, elements of like Olivier's Hamlet. It's a lot of styles of Shakespeare kind of combined into one. I would like to see maybe, if anything, some kind of great, you know, documentary done about you know Kirosawa or like you said, I would like to see a box set of like the Essentials, you know how they have them for like Hitchcock, and give us a box set of essentials because a lot of his film are out on Criterion editions, But a box set of like the Akira cop Kurasawa Essentials, I think would be you know, fantastic, like ten fifteen films. I think that'd be great.

41:13 Well, I'll tell you my choice and I'll go I'll go one of two ways. Here for you. One of my favorite actors, one of my current favorites. Uh, and we've talked about it before. Here a Yuki Sonata. You know, most people know him right now. He played Scorpion in the new Mortal Kombat movie. He also popped up in Avengers and he did he's done, He's done some awesome stuff. I would love if you're going to remake Throw in the Blood and I you know, you can keep them Atbeth Story there. I'd like to see this guy play with Shaizu because you talked about that that strong face, that that that ability to tell a lot with just your expression. I think Sonata is the guy that he's he's out there right now. He's the guy that does that. Okay, But you know what, Brad, if you if you're saying no to a remake, how about uh, how about kirasaw biography.

42:08 We always get these biographies on movie stars and yeah, and sports people, give me a biography, you know, I mean we did. Tim Burton gave us ed Wood. Someone needs to step up and give us Kira Sala. Yeah, what was he like? What was he really like on set? Yeah? And I'll have in have Sonata play playing. Yeah, I just I'm a big fan of the guy. So okay, I'm plugging him out. I can't. All right, Well, Brad, I'll tell you that we talked about the We both watched this on HBO Max h There is a gorgeous Criterion collection available if you want to own it. I kind of feel like I need to own this movie now now that I've seen it. And uh, if there isn't an essentials box set like you talked about, like, I'm gonna check. I'm gonna check Criterion to see if they have it. Bruce Lee box set that they got that I picked up from them is awesome, you know.

43:01 And I know they've got the the Toho, They've got the Godzilla set. Oh, it's like it's it's something. I mean, it's it's outrageously priced. But I mean we're talking cricterion and you're also talking like fifteen movies for that. Yeah. I can't. I can't believe that they wouldn't have something for a Curricurosawa so we got to check that out. Yep, right, we'll tell you else. You know, if you're listening, if you want to check some stuff out, uh, you can check us out. All of our episodes are streaming. You can check them out at www dot a film by podcast dot com. You can reach out to us on a fun buy podcast at gmail dot com. And if you are on Twitter or Facebook, you can always drop us a line, tweet at us post, give us a post at a film by Podcast. Brad Any final thoughts on on the Throne of Blood.

43:57 If you are trying to maybe even get into something like Shakespeare, I would suggest maybe checking this film out before reading Macbeth. You know, you kind of get a presence of what you're you know, about to read and it might actually go a little bit better. And I think if you want to start off with some Cira sala, there's nothing wrong with starting with this movie at all. All right, that you heard it here Brad recommends Thrown a Blood to welcome you to the world of a cura hererosala. Well, that'll do it, Brad. We have kicked off the month of May and talking Asian, American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month I don't think we could have started it any better than this choice of a Cura.

44:39 Herosawa so good. I'm glad you liked it. I did, and uh we will see you guys next time. Take care, be. Or simple no see no