#226: SHINDO, Kaneto: Onibaba (1964)

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SHINDO, Kaneto (Japan)
Onibaba [1964]
Spine #226
DVD


Deep within the windswept marshes of war-torn medieval Japan, an impoverished mother and her daughter-in-law eke out a lonely, desperate existence. Forced to murder lost samurai and sell their belongings for grain, they dump the corpses down a deep, dark hole and live off of the meager spoils. When a bedraggled neighbor returns from the skirmishes, lust, jealousy, and rage threaten to destroy the trio's tenuous existence, and an ominous, ill-gotten demon mask seals their horrifying fate. Driven by primal emotions, dark eroticism, a frenzied score by Hikaru Hayashi, and stunning images both lyrical and macabre, Kaneto Shindo's chilling folktale Onibaba is a singular cinematic experience.

103 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in Japanese
2:35:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2004
Director/Writer


Original screenplay by Kaneto Shindo.
Shindo was 52 when he directed Onibaba.

Other Shindo films in the Collection:

#811: The Naked Island (1960)
#584: Kuroneko (1968)

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twelve-page wraparound featuring essays by Chuck Stephens and Shindo, and a translation of the Buddhist fable A Mask with Flesh Scared a Wife, the inspiration for Shindo’s screenplay.

Commentary

None.

Video interview

With writer/director Shindo.
Stills gallery

Featuring production sketches and promotional art.
Original trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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