"Throne of Blood" Criterion R1 NTSC vs BFI R2 PAL

Japan 1957

A very successful adaptation of Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" Kurosawa's 'Throne of Blood' allowed the director to transform the poetic language of the Bard into his own cinematic expression. A total visual foray into the classical with a heavy essence of Japanese culture. This is a powerful film that showed Kurosawa at the peak of his epic powers.

Gary W. Tooze

Posters

Theatrical Release Date: January 15th, 1957 - Japan

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DVD Comparison:

Criterion Region 1 - NTSC vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL

BFI PAL screenshots courtesy of Pavel Borodin

(Criterion- Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Criterion Collection Spine # 190	BFI Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:49:32	1:44:56 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.37:1.00 Original Aspect ratio Average Bitrate: 8.48 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.37:1.00 Original Aspect ratio Average Bitrate: 4.78 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Criterion
Bitrate: BFI
Audio	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English, and none	English (non-removable)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Home Vision Entertainment Edition Details New high-definition digital transfer Audio commentary by Japanese-film expert Michael Jeck Original theatrical trailer New essay by Stephen Prince (The Warrior’s Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa) Two alternative subtitle translations: a new version from renowned Japanese-film translator Linda Hoaglund, and Kurosawa expert Donald Richie Notes on subtitling by Linda Hoaglund and Donald Richie New and improved English subtitle translation Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition DVD Release Date: May 27, 2003 Keep Case Chapters: 24	Release Information: Studio: BFI Edition Details • Kurosawa & Mifune Biographies • Trailers DVD Release Date: October 22nd, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 18

Comments:

How many ways do you want the Criterion to be better? The picture has immensely better contrast... a sharper image... removable subs... better extras... almost double the bit-rate. So this comparison is kind of a no-brainer. On a down note for Criterion; their image appears slightly cropped on the left edge... but if you weigh this factor against the others, it means nothing! the BFI has excess contrast boosting. The Criterion is more money, but its worth every penny.