Review of Kwaidan (1965) by John H — 05 Nov 2007
A 'kaidan' is a weird tale, and this visual masterpiece collects four from the writings of Lafcadio Hearn, mostly from the collection 'Kwaidan' (which is an antique variant romanisation).
Kobayashi's imagery and pacing owe much to the kabuki tradition, and the set design to expressionism. Its an intropective, slow paced, hypnotic visual masterpiece, and not a horror movie. 'Black Hair' is a conventional ghost story of love and loss.
'Hoichi the Earless' tells of the battle of Dan-no-ura and its ghostly aftermath. 'Woman in the Snow' (my personal favourite) is a folk tale of a beautiful but deadly yuki-onna. The last, 'In a Cup of Tea' is frustratingly enigmatic, and I never really understood it until reading Hearne's short story, which is a meditation on unfinished tales.
Kwaidan is one of my all-time favourite cinema experiences.
This review of Kwaidan (1965) was written by John H on 05 Nov 2007.
Kwaidan has generally received very positive reviews.
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