FILM · 1957 · JAPAN

蜘蛛巣城

Directed by

Akira Kurosawa

Runtime

108 min

Studio

TOHO, Kurosawa Production

12 archived facts · 2 topics · 1 source · Last reviewed Oct 2026

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most…

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All facts (12)

1. #001

   The famous arrow scene near the end was actually done with real arrows. The arrows striking the wooden planks were not achieved with special effects but through archers and choreography. Toshirō Mifune waved his arms to fend off the arrows sticking into the boards and signaled to the archers that he wanted to move in that direction. Real arrows were used to capture Mifune's facial expressions of genuine terror, which are extremely difficult to imitate. Of course, the arrows that hit his character were bamboo fakes.

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2. #002

   Takeshi Katō, the guard killed by Washizu, was worried about the strike of Toshirō Mifune's sword, so he placed a wooden block under his arm. Unfortunately, Mifune's swing split the block in two and wounded Katō. He carried the scar until his death in 2015.

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3. #003

   Initially Akira Kurosawa planned to build only one castle facade for the film, but this proved impractical and led to the construction of all the castle sections used in the shoot. They were built with the help of US Marines stationed in the area.

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4. #004

   Akira Kurosawa believed that medieval Scotland and Japan shared social problems, and that these offered lessons for the present day. Moreover, Macbeth could serve as a cautionary story complementing Ikiru (1952).

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5. #005

   The castle's exteriors were built and shot high on Mount Fuji. The castle courtyard was built at Toho's Tamagawa studio, using volcanic soil brought from Fuji so the ground would match. The interiors were shot at a smaller Tokyo studio. The forest scenes were a combination of the real Fuji forest and studio shooting in Tokyo. Washizu's mansion was shot on the Izu Peninsula.

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6. #006

   These are the real arrows fired at Toshirō Mifune at the end of the film, but they are hollow and travel along wires to ensure they reach their target. If you watch carefully, you can see Mifune brushing against the wires the arrows pass along.

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7. #007

   The film combines Shakespeare's play with Noh-style drama. Akira Kurosawa was a fan of Noh, which he preferred to Kabuki. He especially wanted to combine Noh-style body movement with the set design. Noh also makes use of masks, and in the film the evil spirit appears in different places wearing faces resembling these masks, beginning with the yaseonna (old woman). Noh often emphasizes the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence. This is linked to the rejection of Washizu's salvation and to the chorus saying that the ghost is still in the world. The use of flute and drum in the film's music is also taken from Noh.

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8. #008

   According to production designer Yoshirō Muraki, the team chose to use the color black on the set walls and to use large amounts of armor to complement the mist and fog effects. This design was also based on old scrolls depicting Japanese castles.

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9. #009

   The story is based on William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, from the early 17th century, which in turn is based on a medieval Scottish legend.

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10. #010

    Initially Akira Kurosawa planned only to produce the film and hand the reins to another director. However, Toho, assessing the budget and believing the film would be costly to watch, insisted that Kurosawa himself direct it.

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11. #011

    As in most of Kurosawa's films, rain plays a role in the script, especially in the misty forest scenes.

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12. #012

    Akira Kurosawa stated that he had long admired Shakespeare's Macbeth and dreamed of making a film based on it. He hoped to make one after Rashomon (1950), but when he learned that Orson Welles was going to release his Macbeth (1948), he chose to wait.

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