Kwaidan (1965)

Pretty Good

Good concept, poorly executed.

Expected more

Excellent adaptation.

Prior to 'Kwaidan', the only other Kobayashi films that I had seen are the masterpiece 'Harakiri' and the really good 'Samurai Rebellion'. Both these films had a very tangible anti-establishment vibe to them with a strong criticism of the rigid Japanese social structure. 'Kwaidan' on the other hand is very different. This is an anthology comprising of four Japanese supernatural folktales.Unlike the social commentary in his other films, 'Kwaidan' is more of an exercise in style. Not that the other films weren't stylish, but the formal elements in 'Kwaidan' are much more prominent. Every frame of the film has a sense of meticulousness. There is a surgical precision with which Kobayashi uses the camera movements, the lighting and the colour palette which very much reminded me of similar beautiful images in the films of Zhang Yimou. There is a clear attempt made to make the frames of the film resemble the medieval Japanese narrative scrolls as all the stories in the film involve the thematic element of the past making its presence felt in the present. The use of sound and music has to be particularly admired, because the sound design constantly breaks conventions of simulating realism and thereby helps the film to drift away from the realms of realism and shift to the realms of mysticism/spiritualism.Since, 'Kwaidan' is an anthology of short stories, it lacks the character development and emotional resonance that Harakiri achieves so devastatingly. But despite that, I think the sheer sensual beauty of 'Kwaidan' makes it an essential watch. This is a visual tour de force.

KWAIDAN is a fantasy horror drama which, through the four supernatural stories brings a picturesque, creepy and culturally rich content. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn's collections of Japanese folk tales. These stories remind us of the ghostly fairy tale where the conflict between spirits and humans is predictable and vague.The first story is about a samurai who leaves his wife, because he wants to get rich. He leaves her for a life of wealth and ease with a princess. However, he can not forget her...The second story is about a young lumberjack who, during a snowy blizzard, has survived a close encounter with a snow witch. After that, the survivor meets and married a lovely young woman. However, her identity is shrouded in mystery...The third story is about a blind musician, who is possessed by the ghost of an ancient clan. The monks cover him with tattoos to prevent any harm coming to him, but they forget his ears...The fourth story is about a samurai who is obsessed with the vision of a man in a teacup...A mythological aspect, pantomime and costumes are very impressive in the stories. A very interesting scenery fully corresponds to rich composition of colors and mystical mood. A horror elements come to the fore, mainly, in the climax of the story. Mr. Kobayashi has skillfully combined periods of sound and silence, in order to obtain an authentic mystical effect. He has left little room at the end of each story for the creation a kind of legendary background.What can I say, this is a very pleasant afternoon spent with a various ghosts.

Japan conjures up a myriad of directorial masters; Kurosawa, Miike etc, but Koboyashi's "Kwaidan" surpasses them all for the sublime impact of its imagery & symbolism. Maybe Rashomon gets close for framing & narrative, but Kwaidan is a wonderful visual spectacle to behold.As all the reviews tell you - its a ghost story told in 4 acts/chapters. Each has it own warnings, moral mazes, mistakes & consequences, but its the mood of the 2nd part's "The Woman in the Snow" that first drew me into this world of strange & disturbingly nuanced tales. Things that the viewer may be privy to are not revealed to the characters. So this is how it pulls you in, through a ghostly form of empathy which other directors would have aborted into pantomime. 1 surreal example includes the eyes in the sky, as the two men wander in a snow storm......for me one of the most memorable sequences in cinematic history. It made a huge impression on me when first viewed and i try not to watch it too often in case its gets ruined, its that good.Its a long flick overall, but like all good things - oh so worth it. Just wait for the naval battle and the riot of colour in certain Samurai/warrior sequences. Equally, it turns the mood down low to soft & subtle creepiness when it has to, which is when and where it works best.I can not recommend this film highly enough for its seductive tales of nightmares & psychological trauma. And i have to include "mad props" for the opening sequence of ink droplets falling into water in slo-mo....a feature in stock photography now, but in the hands of Koboyashi it is transformed into a semi-religious moment of timelessness. Mint, as they say oop north and makes a mockery of so much of the trash that is produced today.more than 10/10

A collection of four Japanese folk tales with supernatural themes.In his Harakiri review, Roger Ebert described Kwaidan as "an assembly of ghost stories that is among the most beautiful films I've seen". True, Roger, true. A beautiful film, one of the best Japanese films, and probably the single best Japanese horror film ever made. Everything that came out of Japanese later (in the 1990s) owes a little something to this film.Sure, you could say, "But wait, the greatest Japanese horror film is Godzilla." And there is plenty of truth to that. But Godzilla is a whole other category, both in and outside of horror. There was really never anything scary about giant monsters beating on each other.