Review of Kwaidan (1965) by Nivin P — 22 Jun 2008
This is a beautiful film - one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. There was some exterior shooting, but most of it was done with elaborate sets on a soundstage and it has the wonderful artificiality of a Hollywood musical. The film is an anthology of Japanese ghost stories, but it's less shocking than unsettling. The suspense is built up with the suggestion of horror, relying on music and sound effects to create tension. You can see traces of modern Japanese horror in this film too: the avenging female ghost with its stark, long, black hair inexorably floating toward its victim especially. Why is an unseen face, hidden by long black hair, that won't turn toward you so scary? The director, Masaki Kobayashi, really knows how to milk it.
At 165 minutes, it's very long, but not unusually long for Japanese films of the day. Some people may have trouble with the more theatrical special effects and the film's occasional use of expressionism, but if you sit back and just soak it in, it is certainly rewarding.
This review of Kwaidan (1965) was written by Nivin P on 22 Jun 2008.
Kwaidan has generally received very positive reviews.
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