133. Throne of Blood (1957) & Ikiru (1952)

This week, we discuss two films from legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.

 

The first is Throne of Blood (1957), which is based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The film stars Toshiro Mifune and Isuzu Yamada in the lead roles. With a budget of $350,000, the film was one of the most expensive films ever made in Japan at the time of its release.

 

The second is Ikiru (1952). The film examines the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat (played by Takashi Shimura) and his final quest for meaning. The screenplay was partly inspired by Leo Tolstoy's 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich.

 

Timestamps

 

What we’ve been watching (00:01:02)

 

Throne of Blood (00:35:45)

 

Ikiru (00:51:55)

 

Coin toss (01:15:55)

 

 

Links

 

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@fat-tits mcmahon

 

 

Justwatch.com – streaming and rental links - https://www.justwatch.com