Kakashi

Subtle & Understated Horror, & yet all the better for it.

I have seen numerous 'horror' films & have to state that the vast majority are derivative & lacking. Kakashi however whilst dealing with a very tired subject matter approaches it in a very atmospheric way, relying on visuals & incidentals rather than narrative & action.

I cannot recommend this too highly, & if you want something a little different from the norm, give it a try, I think you may be pleasantly surprised I know I was.

A mysterious letter,the only clue left for Kaoru to search for her missing brother and the reason behind his sudden disappearance.Her blind but relentless search leads the girl to 'Kozakuta-mura',a cursed and insane village where people are mesmerized by the power of the Kakashi(scarecrow).Soon a series of strange things will be set in motion..."Kakashi" by Norio Tsuruta is a typically Japanese supernatural mystery that takes its inspiration from such great horror pictures as "The Wicker Man" and "Pet Sematary".The film is pleasant to watch with some gorgeous cinematography and fine lighting.The soundtrack is minimal and haunting and the mood is well-captured.The main theme in "Kakashi" is the endless cycle of death and rebirth and this is cleverly paralleled with various social concerns throughout.So if you want to see a poetic and atmospheric piece of horror give this one a chance.8 out of 10.

Although hampered by a budget that doesn't allow for sterling effects this is a creepy little thriller that works best when showing the least. The story has echoes of any one of a dozen other films from Spirited Away to Wicker Man, but there is something about the underlying tension and feeling that something thats not right thats makes the film watchable for me. Its the trip thats the joy here, not the destination simply because you'll probably know what that is way in advance of our heroine. As long as they keep the scarecrows in the distance this is a creepy little gem that should be seen by those who are willing to go with a good but flawed film.

Kakashi is considered as a Horror Movie, but it isn't at all. The story takes place in Kozukata village where the heroine brother was last seen. In this village loads of unexplained things happens..(eg. Why Kakashi is kinda worshiped by the village citizens?). Our heroine Kaoru has to face mysterious things, strange people that think about one special day .. The Kakashi Festival ..

The director tried to produce a Horror climate , but it wasn't enough and can't be noticed as well. The music was one of highlights of the film, really scary sometimes and dramatic on other points ( Thumps Up). By the way, Shinichro Ogata is the one who composed the music.

Another highlight of the movie is the stars act.. all of them acted very good and nicely. Maho Nonami who played Kaoru, the one who is searching for her missing brother.. is a good actress, but she needs more efforts to express her feelings .. The scary part is the role of Izume done by the well known actress Kou Sibasaki, she acted really good that you would feel that she is a Devil ( Thumps Up ), Grace Ip the well known HK star was good in the movie , although she was over reacting in some scenes. Shunsuke Matsuoka who played the missing brother was OK , the role was not that hard, he tried to put some efforts but the problem is that the his role is so limited and even the script writer didn't include any information as why did he went to the village and stayed for a week ?? Maybe , more explanation , would help Shunsuke to understand his role..

Overall, the movie is an average Dramatic Movie not a Horror , I advice you to rent it as in the end, loads of unexplained things would make a disappointment conclusion as 1 Hour and half should be enough to explain the concept of the story , but the movie failed to do that..

Rating: **/*****

" In Kazukata village .. Humans co-exist with Death "

I haven't read the Kakashi manga by Junji Ito that this movie is based on, but I've never known Ito to put a foot wrong yet. I've read a lot of fairly awful reviews of this film - slow, boring etc. - but I kind of have to disagree with them. Yes, Kakashi is a slow-paced film, not much in the way of horror... but it does work very well as a kind of weird drama, although some of the scarecrow scenes are a little... silly, perhaps?

The cinematography is lovely, the story is sensitively handled, and the soundtrack is beautiful... and Kou Shibasaki is even more evil than her role as Mitsuko in Battle Royale ;)

I enjoyed it a lot and I'd definitely recommend it, but more on a drama basis than a horror - it's really not very scary IMHO, compared to some other Japanese films.