Throne of Blood12A

Dir. Akira Kurosawa | Japan | 1957 | 1h 50m | Japanese w/ English subs | Starring Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura

In this vivid adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Akira Kurosawa transposes “The Scottish Play” into a deeply atmospheric exploration of warrior traditions in sixteenth-century Japan. Toshiro Mifune gives a feral performance as the doomed warlord Washizu striving for total power alongside his ruthless wife, portrayed by the brilliant Isuzu Yamada. Kurosawa fuses atmosphere and action with more formal elements taken from Noh theatre in this unforgettable, fog-laden re-telling of Shakespeare’s chilling tragedy.

If you buy a ticket for this screening of Throne of Blood as well as Seven Samurai (Sun 7 Nov, 16:30) and Yojimbo (Sun 7 Nov, 21:00) in a single transaction you will receive a 15% discount on the total cost. 

Reviews

‘It remains a landmark of visual strength, permeated by a particularly Japanese sensibility, and is possibly the finest Shakespearean adaptation ever committed to the screen.’
Derek Malcolm, The Guardian

 

          

Screening as part of Japan 2020: Over 100 years of Japanese Cinema, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network. bfijapan.co.uk

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Throne of Blood between November 7, 2021 and November 8, 2021.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 28th September)

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20:30

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Tomorrow (Friday 29th September)

15:45

Past Lives 12A
1h 46m | Korean w/ English subtitles
Celine Song's critically-acclaimed and deeply romantic feature debut about two childhood friends from South Korea who reunite for one week in New York after two decades spent apart.

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18:15

Once Upon a Time in Uganda 15
1h 34m
Playful documentary looking at the world of “Wakaliwood”, Uganda's own DIY action movie industry, and the creative endeavours of bricklayer-turned-filmmaker, Isaac Nabwana.

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20:30

Love Life 12A
2h 3m | Japanese & Korean w/ English subtitles
An intricately plotted domestic drama following a Japanese couple whose marriage is thrown into question following a sequence of fateful events. Directed by the award-winning filmmaker Kôji Fukada.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!