Review of Kwaidan (1965) by Al M — 30 Mar 2011
In my book, Kobayashi's Kaidan remains one of the greatest classics of Japanese film--it ranks alongside the best of Ozu, Kurosawa, Oshima, Suzuki, etc. Drawing upon a variety of influences including Lafcadio Hearn's collection of Japanese ghost stories, Noh theatre, and German expression, Kobayashi creates one of the most meditatively beautiful horror films ever made.
A portmanteau film, Kaidan consists of four separate tales of supernatural that generally involves some moralistic lesson such as don't leave the woman you love, don't utter secrets that a demon woman told you to never speak of, don't try to fool the spirits, and don't diss the spirits by drinking them when their image appears in your tea cup.
That last one seems a little more arbitrary than the others....Kaidan is not like most modern horror cinema. It does not rely on cheap scares, gore, violence, or even suspense. Instead, it methodically builds atmosphere, and its atmosphere reflects human emotions and psyches in the most classic expressionist manner.
A powerful, haunting, and beautiful meditation upon the desires and sins that lie at the heart of the human condition, Kaidan persists as not just a great example of Japanese horror but as one of the great horror films ever made period.
This review of Kwaidan (1965) was written by Al M on 30 Mar 2011.
Kwaidan has generally received very positive reviews.
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