Plot

A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.

After securing a major victory on the battlefield, Taketoti Washizu and one of his commanders, Yoshiaki Miki, find themselves lost in the maze-like Spider's Web forest. They come across a spirit-like seer who tells them of their future: both have been promoted because of their victory that day; Washizu will someday be the Great Lord of the Spider's Web castle while Miki's son will someday rule as Great Lord as well. When they arrive at the castle, they learn that the first part of the prophecy is correct. Washizu has no desire to become Great Lord but his ambitious wife urges him to reconsider. When the current Great Lord makes a surprise visit to his garrison outpost, Washizu is again promoted to commander of his vanguard but his wife reminds him of the danger that comes with the position. As pressure mounts, Wahizu takes action leading to its inevitable conclusion.—garykmcd

After a victorious battle, two generals, Washizu and Miki, are confronted by a spirit who predicts their futures. Washizu will be promoted and will ultimately be leader of the realm. Miki will also be promoted and his son will eventually be leader of the realm. Both immediately dismiss these utterances but once they are promoted, they start to believe them. Washizu is spurred on by his ambitious, scheming wife, Asaji. When a chance comes to kill the current leader, Washizu seizes upon it.—grantss

Drunk with victory, the battle-hardened General, Taketoki Washizu, and his fearless brother-in-arms, General Yoshiteru Miki, become lost in the mournful mist of the rain-soaked Spider's Web Forest, while riding back to Lord Tsuzuki's castle. There, enveloped by a livid fog, the men have a fateful and spine-chilling encounter with the supernatural, as its otherworldly medium gives them a bold and favourable bipartite prediction about their future. However, repressed desires fanned by the rapacious ambition of Washizu's ghost-like wife, Lady Asaji, will pave the way for short-lived triumphs, as, little by little, ill omens begin to devour the usurper's blood-drenched castle. Man's vainglory inextricably intertwines with his demise. Who dares to sit on a throne of blood?—Nick Riganas

A transposition of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' to medieval Japan. After a great military victory, Lords Washizu and Miki are lost in the dense Cobweb Forest, where they meet a mysterious old woman who predicts great things for Washizu and even greater things for Miki's descendants. Once out of the forest, Washizu and Miki are immediately promoted by the Emperor. Washizu, encouraged by his ambitious wife, plots to make even more of the prophecy come true, even if it means killing the Emperor...—Michael Brooke <michael@everyman.demon.co.uk>

&#12302;&#34584;&#34523;&#24035;&#22478;&#12303;

Kurosawa's take on Macbeth: Miki and Washizu are samurai commanders under a local lord who reigns in the castle in the Spider Web Forest. After defeating the lord's enemies in battle, they return to the lord's castle. On their way through the forest surrounding the castle, they get lost and meet a spirit, who foretells their future. The spirit tells them that today Washizu will be named master of the North Castle and Miki will now command Fort One. She then foretells that Washizu will eventually become Lord of Forest Castle, and finally she tells Miki that his son will also become lord of the castle.

As the two return to their lord's estate, the lord promptly rewards the two with exactly what the spirit had predicted. As Washizu discusses this with his wife Asaji, she manipulates him into making the second part of the prophecy come true by killing the lord. When the lord visits, Washizu kills him with the help of his wife who poisons the lord's guards. When Washizu returns in shock at his deed, Asaji grabs the bloody sword and puts it in the hands of one of the three unconscious guards. She then yells "murder" through the courtyard, and Washizu slays the guard before he has a chance to plead his innocence.

The lord's vengeful son Kunimaru and a rival of Washizu named Noriyasu both suspect Washizu as the murderous traitor and try to warn Miki, who refuses to believe what they are saying about his friend. Washizu, though, is unsure of Miki's loyalty, but he desires to trust his friend and he still plans to let Miki's son be his heir, since he and Asaji have been unable to bear a child of their own.

Washizu plans to tell Miki and his son about his decision at a grand banquet, but Asaji tells him that she is pregnant, which leaves him with a quandary concerning his heir. During the banquet, Washizu is disturbed that his friend and his son have yet to show up. He then begins to panic at the sight of Miki's ghost, and Asaji tells their guest that he is drunk and that they leave. Then one of his men arrived with the severed head of Miki, and Washizu realizes what his wife has done behind his back. The guard also tells them that Miki's son escaped.

Later, distraught upon hearing of his wife's miscarriage and in dire need of help with the impending battle with his foes, he returns to the forest to summon the spirit. She tells him that he will not be defeated unless the forest begins to move toward the castle. Washizu believes this is impossible and is confident of his victory. He returns to the castle to await the oncoming armies. Overnight the castle hears the sound of trees being cut down, though nobody can see it in the darkness. As Washizu rouses his attendants with encouraging words, birds start to flock the castle, which Washizu believes to be a good omen. He sits and waits, armed. After having nodded off, he is awoken on a dense and foggy morning by the screams of his wife's attendants, and he finds his wife in a semi-catatonic state, trying to clean the imaginary blood from her hands, obviously distraught at her grave misdeeds.

Washizu knows he must kill all his enemies, so he tells his troops of the last prophecy, and they share his confidence. But when his troops notice the enemy approaching the castle hiding behind tree boughs, they see that the prophecy came true and that Washizu was doomed.

As Washizu tries to get his troops to attack, they remain still. Finally they turn on their master and begin firing arrows at him as revenge for his traitorous actions. Washizu finally succumbs to his wounds just as his enemies approach the castle gates.