Japanese Film Series
The films selected for this curriculum study have been primarily selected for their heavy reliance upon the elements of Classical Japanese Theatre. I strongly encourage teachers to view each film in this series privately before sharing the film with your students. In doing so, you will have the opportunity to judge whether the subject matter and/or images are appropriate for your particular student and community population. In addition to a private film screening, I also suggest that you write a brief letter of explanation of this curriculum unit to your parents with a short synopsis of each film requesting for them to sign permission slips allowing their children to view the film selections. In my experience I have found parents truly appreciate the consideration given to them prior to the implementation of a lesson. By using this proactive method of communication, I have also encountered little opposition to my subject matter and teaching materials beyond the request for additional explanations and/or discussion.
Throne of Blood
This film series will begin with a screening of Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. Chosen for its depiction of Noh theatre elements, Throne of Blood is Kurosawa's breathtaking film interpretation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Akira Kurosawa is undoubtedly one of Japan's greatest filmmakers and is credited for bringing Japanese arts onto the world stage. His use of world classical literature as the basis for Japanese cultural interpretations coupled with his ingenious film style truly sets him amongst the greatest filmmakers in the world.
"A Noh play with its three-part structure: Jo, Ha and Kyu (intro, destruction, haste) is a good structure for a screenplay."
("Kurosawa: A Documentary on the Acclaimed Director")
Throne of Blood is regarded by some film critics as one of the best film adaptations of William Shakespeare's Macbeth to date. Kurosawa masterfully keeps much of the textual elements of Shakespeare's play in tact while embracing his dramatic Japanese Noh interpretation of the play in film. Throne of Blood stars Kurosawa's longtime collaborator Toshiro Mifune as Washiza (Macbeth) and legendary Japanese stage actress Isuzu Yamada as Lady Washizu (Lady Macbeth). As in Macbeth this film is about the greed and desire for power and revenge at any costs. It is also about the innate power of persuasion that a woman may have over her lover.
"I have them repeat their lines and gradually proceed to the movements. This is done with costume and makeup from the beginning."
("Kurosawa: A Documentary on the Acclaimed Director")
Though many elements of Noh theatre can be identified in this film, the greatest and most notable are the acting styles which have definitely set this film in a class and genre all its own. Toshiro Mifune gives a completely mesmerizing performance as the power hungry Washiza. Notice the quality of his movements and the vocalization of his lines throughout the film. These are all Noh acting techniques masterfully adapted to film!
"Until the shooting — until the first day of rehearsals be a blank page, bring nothing to the role." ("Kurosawa: A Documentary on the Acclaimed Director")
Isuzu Yamada gives one of the most hauntingly astounding performances on film I have ever seen in her role as Lady Washizu, Washiza's ruthless and most calculating wife. I truly appreciated Kurosawa's Noh theatrical interpretation for this film the more I watched Yamada's command of energy and movement during her performance. It felt like a live theatre experience!
In Kurosawa: A Documentary on the Acclaimed Director (2000), Isuzu Yamada is interviewed on her experience being directed by Kurosawa during the filming of Throne of Blood. Speaking extremely highly of the respect and warm regard she holds for Kurosawa, Yamada remembers the struggle she endured mastering the techniques of Noh theatre for her performance. She says that Kurosawa was adamant that her face remain stiff and unmoving as a mask. Her eyes were not to blink and her head was not allowed to make sudden movements of any kind. She was literally directed to control her physical and emotional self as if she were wearing a heavy mask on her face; thereby she forced all emotion to be displaced through her subtle body language and intense vocal variations. Yamada remembers a moment when after tapping a scene; Kurosawa made her tape the scene again because she blinked her eyes.
For students gaining the invaluable experience of this curriculum, Throne of Blood is truly an "actor's film on acting." This film effectively demonstrates the necessity for actors to gain complete control of their vocal, physical, and mental tools. After viewing this film, I am confident that students will gain the motivation to learn the techniques necessary for Noh performance.
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