Film Description
Released to great acclaim in 1968, Kuroneko is a sparse, atmospheric horror story loosely based on a Japanese folktale in which a mother and daughter return from the dead as vampiric cat spirits intent on revenge. A standout film of the 'kaiden eiga' genre of period ghost stories often based on old legends or kabuki plays, the film is subtly complimented by award-winning cinematography, a vibrant score, and riveting performances from some of the greatest actors of Japan's Golden Age of film.
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By Barry Forshaw on 8th August 2005
Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko is an allusive, disorientating piece, built on Kuroneko’s philosophy of using beauty and purity to evoke emotion. Eccentric and more overtly s... more >
Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko is an allusive, disorientating piece, built on Kuroneko’s philosophy of using beauty and purity to evoke emotion. Eccentric and more overtly supernatural than its breakthrough companion piece, Onibaba (1964), Kuroneko revisits similar themes to reveal a haunting meditation on duty, conformity, and love. In this magnificently eerie and romantic film — loosely based on the Japanese folktale The Cat's Return — a mother and daughter-in-law (Nobuko Otowa & Kiwako Taichi), who were raped and murdered by pillagers, return from the dead as vampiric cat spirits intent on revenge. As the ghosts lure soldiers into the bamboo groves, a fearless samurai, Gintoki (Kinichiemon Nakamura), is sent to stop their reign of terror. Kuroneko remains a standout film of the kaiden eiga genre of period ghost stories often based on old legends or kabuki plays. Marking Shindo's first use of wire work as Yone and Shige battle against samurai blades, the film is subtly complimented by Kiyomi Kuroda's award-winning chiaroscuro cinematography, Hikaru Hayashi's vibrant score, and riveting performances. < less
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