Review of Onibaba (1964) by Andrew G — 19 Feb 2008

This samurai-era classic rests its laurels on powerful imagery and a knowledge of human psychology at its worst. It bristles with desperate hunger--physical, emotional, but mostly sexual. Other reviewers claim it's a story rooted in reality, divorced from the demons of the supernatural.

While true, the atmosphere closes in like the undulating reeds of the setting, weighing the closing shot of a dank, dark hole with poignancy, and leaving the viewer shuddering.