Isuzu Yamada, a towering star of the Japanese screen and stage best known in the West for her chilling portrayal of the Lady Macbeth role in Akira Kurosawa’s Shakespeare adaptation “Throne of Blood,” died on July 9 in Tokyo. She was 95.

Her office confirmed her death, the Japanese news media reported.

Ms. Yamada worked with many major directors of Japanese cinema’s golden age, notably Kurosawa and Kenji Mizoguchi, the two who most palpably shaped her screen persona.

Whether portraying a victim or a villain, a rebellious girl or a “fallen woman,” as many of her early roles came to be called, Ms. Yamada, a classically trained actress, was noted for bringing poise and toughness to a role. She remained committed to the theater and in her later years was a staple of Japanese television.