Top Story: 25.May 2006
The Movie Kwaidan - Stories and Studies of Strange Things
Many have heard of Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan - Stories and Studies of Strange Things. The movie version Kwaidan (1964) directed by Masaki Kobayashi surprises. The stories have strong Japanese essence in them, and they seemed to catch the original message of Lafcadio Hearn's (Koizumi Yakumo) work well. Best of all is the movie's wonderful expressionist style. The movie is like a painting! It is still very easy to enjoy and the movie is as good in many ways as Akira Kurosawa's Dreams was.
The movie starts with "Black Hair" which is a story of a pompous samurai who abandons his wife to pursue fame and glory. After he remarries, he realizes the value of his old, now lost relationship, as his new wife is selfish and only cares about herself. Now realizing his true love to his first wife, samurai returns back home and finds her wife, just as she were when he left..
Another interesting story is Yuki Onna , the story about Japanese figure of snow spirit. Yuki Onna is usually described in old Japanese writings as a pale woman dressed in white kimono, and she is always described to be very beautiful. Stranded in a snowstorm, men are trying to reach back home, but encounters this mythical figure, who takes life of others, only saving the life of this young man, but by only a condition that he never tells anyone about her. If he is ever to mention her again, she would take her life. So years pass by and he gets married, until one evening he finally tells his wife about her..
Other famous stories Hoichi the Earless and In a Cup of Tea are also very interesting stories.
Although the budget must have been tight it has not restricted the imagination of creators. The movie isn't scary at first, in fact it looks like ordinary, rather nice tale. But the way how they turn scary, completely wipes the feet off from the viewer.. that's something modern scary movies are unable to do. This is truly masterful film. Also, all of the stories pack a message or meaning in them - something totally much better than Latest Hideo Nakata Water Horror Whatever.
Actors and actresses are great too. Keiko Kishi does wonderful job as a beautiful Yuki Onna. Director Masaki Kobayashi (1916-1996) made movies like Tokyo Trial (Tokyo Saiban), Glowing Autumn (Moeru aki) and Joi-uchi: Hairyo tsuma shimatsu.
