A Black Cat in a Bamboo Grove

Very similar to Shindo's masterpiece "Onibaba". A mother and daughter-in-law seek vengeance on the samurai class for the suffering they have been put through. Female spirits luring lustful men to their doom is a very common theme in Japanese ghost stories ie. Ugetsu, Kaidan, etc. In this tale there is the added conflict when the son/husband is sent to destroy them. Very well done and very creepy.

Some obvious similarities to Shindo's earlier ONIBABA, as a woman and her mother-in-law are raped by samurai, and turn to supernatural forces to seek their revenge. Shindo uses an impressive array of tricks to maintain the unsettling, creepy atmosphere -- sparse Noh-style staging, bold chiaroscuro lighting, avant-garde soundtrack, abrupt time cuts, wire work, superimpositions and other special effects. It's a very atmospheric kaidan, almost Gothic in tone. Rape is of course a disturbingly common occurrence in Japanese cinema, but here Shindo uses it as the groundwork for a decidedly feminist agenda. The film does have a few pacing issues, particular during the erotic portions in the middle (although some of it is lovely). I thought more could have been done with this story, but the visual aspects and the mood make it memorable.

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.

First of all, I would LOVE to know why this classic of Japanese 60's cinema is NOT in VHS or better yet, DVD, format in Region 1 format???

It's a real shame, as it is a perfect pairing with Onibaba(which was a terrifying double bill in San Francisco in 1978, thereabouts). It explores the touchy subject of revenge, revenge for terrible deeds done to the women, and how perfectly they exact their revenge from the grave. Guaranteed you will never hear the rustling sounds of bamboo ever the same again.

This is a movie for adults, as the subject matter is intense. It is an indictment of how women were and are treated in warfare, and the horrifying toll it takes on everyone.

I highly recommend this film. If you can locate it-for some odd reason it is extremely hard to get, and it deserves a much wider audience.

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.