One of two Kurosawa films drawing from Shakespeare, the other being Ran, Throne of Blood is a synthesis of culture and history. It is a film that blends Macbeth and the history that followed the Onin War, 1467-1477, a century of war that saw the strong dominate. While Shakespeare contains more linguistic subtleties, Kurosawa attempts to retain theatrical elements in this film. Influences of Noh theatre are apparent throughout the film. Unlike Ran, Throne of Blood retains more elements of theatre. Characters even have some facial qualities that strongly resemble Noh masks. Through makeup and acting, the effect is powerful. Throne of Blood retains the mystery and tragedy of Macbeth, but employs a more Japanese historical stage to present it on. The film looks at violence that begets violence, which not only lends itself to Buddhist ideas, but also to the historical time in which the film is set. Like Ran, Throne of Blood has incredible costumes and scenery. While it lacks the luster of the brilliant color displayed in Ran, it has more elements of samurai culture. Because the main character spends more time indoors and in dialogue than in Ran, we can see more interior spaces. This film is an amazing exploration of history and theatre. This clip shows Mifune talking with his wife. We can see she has blackened teeth, which was common among the women in higher society during the time period in which the film is set. We can see the other aspects of this time period in the dress of the actors and the buildings they are in. While certain aspects of movement and appearance have been altered to fit into a Noh theatre framework, the film still contains a litany of information that can be used for education. Not only can we gain knowledge from the historical aspects of Japanese culture, but we can also see how Noh has been used and gain insight about this form of Japanese theatre.