Film: Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa, 1957)

A Japanese retelling of Shakespeare's MacBeth in the powerful visual style of grand master Kurosawa. Two samurai, Washizu and Miki, get lost and meet a fortune-teller, who predicts that Washizu will be mighty, but that Miki's children will ultimately prevail. Washizu indeed comes to power and is convinced by his wife that must remove his rivals. Kurosawa alternates dynamic battle scenes with tranquil, stylized moments, thereby creating one of the most original and accessible Shakespeare adaptations.