A Black Cat in a Bamboo Grove

Director Kaneto Shindô is most famous for his 1964 ghost story Onibaba; and anyone that enjoyed that film will certainly enjoy this one. The two films are very similar in style, and that's a good thing for both as the thick and surreal atmosphere created by the director creates a perfect atmosphere for a horror story to take place in. The title of the film translates in English to 'The Black Cat' - a staple of the horror genre ever since Edgar Allen Poe penned his classic story; although this film has nothing to do with the writings of Poe and is an original story written by the director. The film takes place in feudal Japan and our focus is on a mother and daughter-in-law living alone in the swamp. Its war time and all the samurais are out fighting. However, one day a group of them happen on the pair and after eating their food, the samurai's rape the women. Shortly thereafter, many samurai are being found dead in the area; they are drained of blood with their throats ripped out. Naturally the lord of the land comes to the conclusion that a monster is behind it, and sends a young hero to deal with the problem.

Kaneto Shindô is keen to fill his film with rich symbolism and striking visuals; but also finds time for some visceral horror. The opening scenes are shocking and later the films builds into some truly memorable and surreal sequences that, when combined with the atmosphere, do manage to be quite frightening. The swamp location is a really great place for the film to take place also; and the director makes the best of it, especially during the parts in which the younger of the two women is leading the stray samurai's to their death. The film is more than just the central story; and we also follow things going on around it; such as the eventual hero's fight that earned him the right to seek out and kill the demons. The central story is definitely the most interesting, however, and while the sub plots are not boring; I did mostly find myself waiting for the film to get back on track. The way that the story builds into the end, which really brings all the stray subplots together, is really good and the film ends on a very strong note. Overall, The Black Cat is not quite as great as the director's masterpiece Onibaba; but it's certainly a very good horror film.

While watching 'Kuroneko,' I must admit I was a little distracted by what were, to me, anyway, stylistic issues: The beautiful black-and-white photography was so vivid and made clear so many little details, in contrast to which the story and the action was delivered in broad, stylized strokes. Something about this didn't work for me - the image, somehow, was too unforgiving on the simply conceived story...not to mention the makeup effects. When a shot of thrillingly real roaring fire at the opening is followed by a shot of the burned bodies, two actresses with, essentially, charcoal rubbed on parts of their arms and legs, and lumpy fake blood spread on their throats...well, it hurt my ability to get into the world of the movie. As did sequences of the plot where the characters' actions didn't follow normal human psychology ("But if he recognized her, wouldn't he say something?") If the image hadn't been so vivid I wouldn't have had to keep thinking of them as actors in a stilted, stylized script. But I did. So sue me. Maybe that's culture clash - maybe the dramatic stylization is direct from the Japanese tradition and would have felt natural in its own way to someone from Japan. Well. I'm not Japanese.

But the important thing here is that, while the movie's horror, while I was watching it, was negligible because of all the above...in the days following, I found myself more and more haunted by some of the truly eerie imagery and the undertones of the plot. To return home, having become a man, and find that your family has turned to demons - demons who might sometimes, partially, still be your family, but will never talk about it...there are shadows of a powerful nightmare in there.

The fight sequence in the rushes, and the slow processions through the bamboo grove, in particular, reverberate in my mind. These scenes, among others, were well supported by the excellent musical score.

I don't know what to make of the last few scenes - the movie had spent itself several times over by that point, though, and in a sense, the exact twists and turns of the plot were only of secondary importance. Watch it for its uniquely eerie atmosphere (and lovely photography), and then enjoy as it slowly settles in to your subconscious.

This is the best ghost movie I have ever seen, and highly unusual. It has gorgeous black and white cinematography, an exotic Japanese feudal setting, and a wide variety of visual and emotional effects. The characters move with the ritual formality that I love in certain Japanese films, and the story moves on with the ruthless intensity of a Noh drama.

The final scene is thrilling. The cinematic supernatural effects are sparingly used and startling.

THE SYNOPSIS In warring feudal Japan, a group of marauding Samurai seeking food exits the forest where they come across a house that should have what they require. On entering the house they find it has what they want and a lot more….it has women too. The inhabitants an elderly woman and her daughter in law are both subjected to continuous rape as each Samurai takes their turn, the others plunder the women's food stocks.After the Samurai have satiated their appetites,they leave the women, now unconscious for dead and set fire to their home as they flee.When the fire eventually burns out all we see are the burned and battered bodies of the women and their helpless black kitten as it licks their wounds.

Rajomon Gate….a Samurai approaches on horseback and is met by a spectral vision of a woman, who tells him she is too afraid to make her journey home because she has to pass the Bamboo Grove, which is a haven for bandits and highwaymen. The Samurai agrees to accompany her to her home, where he is plied with sake. The Daughter in laws husband Hachi, we learn has been at war for three years and has still not returned The daughter in law then proceeds to seduce the Samurai, before she brutally attacks him, devouring his throat and sucking his blood…..for we learn that the two women are in fact the newly embodied spirits of the dead women murdered by the Samurai who have made a pact with the Evil Gods/Spirits, who have allowed them life, on condition that they murder all Samurai who pass their way.

Far to the East, a sole warrior named Hachi is all that remains after a massive and bloody battle.Hachi returns home to find his home burned and his family missing, he seeks employment from the Samurai leader at Rajomon Gate named Raiko, who after hearing Hachi's brave stories takes him on. Hachi's first task is to rid the area of the spectral beasts that have been claiming the lives of his warriors…..and so Hachi sets off unknowingly to kill his own family.

THE REVIEW Unquestionably a companion piece to Onibaba, a film by the same Director…it was made to cash in on the success of Onibaba which had been met by a wave of good criticism in the west….and also because Shindo's other contemporary works had been less critically received mainly due to their overtly sexual content. Kiyomi Kuroda's award winning cinematography sets the tone for this film, its Chiaroscuro/Noir visuals are nothing short of breathtaking. The underlying tragic story of lost love is also dealt with brilliantly by Shindo who is on fine form again….the story is compelling except for the first twenty minutes which became a bit repetitive as Samurai after Samurai was seduced and killed by the women, but this ploy was used to bring the story forward so I wont criticize too much.All in all, a worthwhile buy if you like Onibaba or Asian Cinema,but the DVD despite the films stunning print is very bare.

This is Japanese period piece of supernatural horror directed by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba), based on a traditional folktale. During a time of widespread warfare, a woman (Nobuko Otowa) lives in an isolated farmhouse with her daughter-in-law Shige (Kiwako Taichi). The woman's son, and Shige's husband, Gintoki (Kichiemon Nakamura) have been conscripted in the war, so the ladies are alone when a band of samurai pass by and decide to raid the house for food, only to assault and kill both women while they're at it. Several years later, many of those samurai have risen to positions of importance, only a pair of ghostly women have begun killing them one by one. Gintoki, unaware of the fates of his wife and mother, is ordered to investigate the killings.

Like Shindo's earlier Onibaba, this features terrific B&W cinematography and very effective atmosphere. The acting by the three leads is also very good. This would make a great triple bill with Onibaba and Kwaidan.