How did Kurosawa blend Eastern and Western influences?
One does not force these things; they flow naturally, like water finding its course. When I discovered Shakespeare, it felt as if I had met an old friend. His dramas of ambition, betrayal, and human frailty, as in 'Throne of Blood' (Macbeth), resonated deeply with the moral landscapes of Japanese Noh theater and my own understanding of human conflict. I sought to present these universal themes with a visual dynamism, the bold strokes of a painter, the percussive rhythm of a drummer. The energy of a Western film, the sweep of its narrative, could be married to the subtle introspective nature of Eastern storytelling. It is about finding the common pulse beneath different skins.
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