Shakespearean drama and Japanese samurai culture go together much more nicely than I could have imagined. Something about the way the Japanese can forcefully shout an entire conversation really emphasizes the sort of high intensity drama that one tends to find in the Bard’s tragedies. Kurosawa really outdid himself with the production of this film; the rugged mountains and wind swept plains provide the perfect backdrop and the colorful costumes lend an almost theatric feel. It’s grand cinema.