Filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa introduces the Akira Kurosawa seminal samurai drama Throne of Blood and speaks about the film’s influence on his own movie, The Samurai and the Prisoner, at New York City’s IFC Center.

A vivid Macbeth adaptation, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood sets Shakespeare’s tale of ambition and duplicity in a ghostly, fog-covered landscape in feudal Japan. As a hardened warrior who rises savagely to power, Toshiro Mifune gives a remarkable performance, along with Isuzu Yamada as his ruthless wife. Throne of Blood fuses classical Western tragedy with formal elements taken from Noh theater to create an unforgettable cinematic experience.