Must-See Cinema! Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa’s birth!
Kurosawa has transformed 'Macbeth' into a medieval Japanese legend, as General Toshirô Mifune, with Minoru Chiaki’s ‘Banquo’ at his side, gallops through a seemingly endless forest to his encounter with a single witch, then, as dense fog lifts, finds himself before a looming castle. With the legendary Isuzu Yamada as his Lady, this is a partnership of titans. Mifune’s takeover after the murder, and the castle’s bird invasion are powerful and fascinating additions to the, how-they-do-it department: except for the last hit, there is no camera trickery in the famous final scene. Real archers fired real arrows from just off camera range. When complimented on his acting, Mifune remarked ‘Who wouldn’t be scared?’
– Film Forum New York