Boy, you people are good!  Dozens of you nailed all four films in less than a day. As someone who grew up with the Simpsons, I used Cliff notes whenever the subject of Shakespeare came up. Movie (A) is a science fiction classic based on The Tempest. Movie (B) is one of the few Shakespearean plays set in Roman times and adapted for the screen. Movie (C) is a sacrilegious adaptation of Shakespeare's most romantic play. Leonardo DiCaprio doth not a Romeo make, in spite of his handsome looks. I think the young lad is more suited to roles like the one he played in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? Movie (D) appears to be the most difficult to guess, yet it is also one of the easiest. Once you figure out the Shakespeare angle, a quick search using Cinemania pops up two likely Japanese movies with a corresponding theme, Ran and Throne of Blood. But Ran is in color, and is also widescreen. That leaves only the second choice. You may have been thrown by the pseudo-modern paneling in the screen shot. It is perhaps the one element of this movie which does not seem to correspond to the feudal setting of the other parts of the film. Nevertheless, Throne of Blood is a rousing good movie with sweeping scenes and haunting visions. It begs to be seen on a large screen. Let us hope that Criterion issues the movie on DVD.
 

Notes: Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever is a good source for looking up films with a Shakespearean theme. Since Julius Caesar is out of print on laserdisc (and very hard to find), you would have been forced to use Screen World to match the hairdo and costume of John Gielgud's character. Their photo coverage of the movie is very extensive. Donald Ritchie's book on Akira Kurosawa does not provide guidance on guessing Throne of Blood. The only way to verify the shot is to watch the movie.
 

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