An analyzation of Samurai Adaptations & classic literature
The 4 Pillars - How Samurai Films Adapt classic literature
On the surface, one may not imagine that classic Samurai cinema makes itself readily transposable to the works of classic literature. However, against all odds this seems to be the case as time and time again famous novels or tales from history are turned into films with a narrative Samurai spin.
Why is this parallel so easy? Is the Samurai archetype truly the universal warrior of all plots, or does the methodology simply lend itself easily to the standard classic structure? Of all the examples I alluded to, there are 4 films in particular which I would like to break down in terms of common parallels:
1) Throne of Blood = Macbeth
2) Ran = King Lear
3) Rashomon = The Last Duel
4)Kwaidan = Gawain & The Green Knight
Kirosawa seems to be the main champion of this drive to adapt classic literary stories within a new Samurai lens, as 3 of the 4 films I am pinpointing are his directorial efforts. While arguments could be made for other films that are not his works, these 4 examples are simply the most blatant adaptations I have found.
The first film on the list, Throne of Blood, is probably one of the more famous examples that is still widely discussed and also stands as one of the more liniar adaptations. It’s the same general plot as the Shakespeare classic Macbeth, simply told in feudal Japan. It is the tale of a man being manipulated by a prophecy and his ruthless wife to become ruler of his land until eventually he becomes the instrument of his own downfall. While there are slight variations between the two in order to remain within the respected realms they create, the framework is the same.
The same could be said of Ran as well as it’s more or less the story of Shakespear’s King Lear. A tragic story in which a man divides his kingdom amongst his children and in turn is betrayed and driven to insanity. Ran however makes a few changes to the source material that one could argue enhance the story.
The real point of discussion on Samurai adaptations was spurred after I viewed the recent Ridley Scott film The Last Duel. What I found was that a lot of its structure and general plot seemed to remind me a great deal of Rashomon. The interesting part however is that The Last Duel is based off of a book, which gives me the hypothesis that perhaps Rashomon is an interpretation of the same book. It is yet another example of A samurai adaptation of classic works. However this one is a unique case as it’s not based on any fictional Shakespeare works but a historical account. At its core however it is still a story about the meaning of truth and how some can go to great lengths to preserve their own sense of world view. In that sense, the samurai film seems to adapt itself rather well into the ancient tale of two knights fighting for their version of the truth. It touches on aspects of the Samurai code that will start to become quite prevalent the more examples one views.
Lastly, the dark horse out of the 4 examples I’ve mentioned is the film Kwaidan - which roughly translates to “Ghost Stories.” It’s an anthology film made of 4 unique segments, all of which are very different from the last. I found the 4th and final segment however hauntingly similar to the medieval classic Gawain & The Green Knight. In the tale simply titled "In a Cup of Tea," a spirit presents himself to a Samurai in a cup of water and instead of using caution - the Warrior brazenly drinks the Tea. Later the spirit shows up again and the samurai attempts to behead him. This spurring the warrior to receive the warning from the ghost’s 3 servants stating that on the 16th day of the next month the spirit will return to pay back the same blow.
This is more or less the same exact plot as The Green Knight where Gawain beheads the mysterious Green Knight, only to be told that in 1 year the Green Knight will return the same attack he was given. It’s a classic medieval tale on the trappings of impulsiveness and pride, and fits perfectly into the world of the Bushido code latent throughout Most of Samurai films.
The Bushido Parallel - Why is it so easy to adapt the source material?
Much like how American Westerns make for perfect remakes of Samurai films, it seems Samurai films make for perfect remakes of classic literature. The efforts of medieval pride translate well into the trappings of Samurai Honor. In fact, in many cases they work better. There’s something to be said about the pursuit of the ideal self and how restricting yourself to such a rigorous code can lead many warriors into the follies of their own downfall. In the case of Macbeth and Throne of Blood it’s all about how ambition can lead one to a place of extreme paranoia and ire. Being told you will be destined for greatness can cause one to be so desperate that they go down a path that is anything but. This works perfectly in the samurai setting as many Samurai's goals are to be at an elevated status to those around in order to be an example. At least for some.
Ran also works so well because the source material is at its core a story of betrayal. If the 3 siblings of the King were actually loyal to his wishes then much of the film's conflict would have been avoided. Honor is a driving force of Samurai culture and the King's eldest son in the film is manipulated into betraying him to save his own honor in some way. The second oldest brother demonstrates the least amount of honor as almost from the very beginning he is planning on usurping the throne from his brother.
While the characters and their relationships to one another may have been tweaked slightly, it’s still a story of pettiness and the failings of a deranged king.
Rashomon and The Last Duel respectively are all about the truth. It’s all about lying to yourself to preserve what little dignity you have left. Something that fits very close to home in Samurai culture with the concept of the "word of the warrior" (something this blog is named after). It’s the idea that you must take anything a noble warrior says as absolutely true no matter what. However if the warrior is caught in the lie then it is instant dishonor. The fear of losing your honor (or perhaps nobility in the Last Duel) is what drives the main characters to continually lie about their status and their place in the narrative.
Lastly, Gawain & the Green Knight is one of the pinnacle stories from medieval times to deal with the concept of honor. After Gawain is told that he will be beheaded in one year, he searches for a way to get out of his situation. It is not until the very end that he learns the true purpose of his entire quest was a test of a knights honor and to demonstrate that a Knight must never be distrustful. While Kwaidan’s 4th segment never showed what happened after the ghostly warning, the set up is the same and we can only assume that this samurai fell into the same trappings Gawain did in trying to balance the preservation of one's honor versus their own life.
The Samurai and the ancient knight both demonstrate the positives and the negatives of striving for absolute nobility and honor. Because of this, films regarding the two subjects lend themselves easily to being adapted back and forth. A knight trying to be chivalrous can easily be shown through the lens of a samurai attempting to preserve their honor. Whether or not the respective heroes succeed themselves is another matter entirely.
Whether or not the samurai code is portrayed in a positive or negative light depended on the era and context in which the film itself was made. However in the case of the universal warrior archetype, one concept is always key - Honor above all else.
