Hebi musume to hakuhatsuma

After a long stay in a children's home, Sayuri Nanjo (Yachie Matsui) returns to her parents where she finds that she has an older sister Tamami (Mayumi Takahashi), who immediately treats her with disdain. Sharing a bed with Tamami, Sayuri finds reptile scales on the sheets, and comes to believe that her sister is a snake. Moved to the attic, Sayuri suffers from nightmares involving snakes, spiders and a hideous witch with detachable arms, and, thanks to a spy-hole above Tamami's room, discovers why her sister is so cruel to her. But who is the witch woman who clearly means to do Sayuri harm and why is she doing so?

While the ending does clear up the matter of the witch's true identity, I haven't the foggiest what her motives are, but that doesn't matter because the film is so atmospheric, downright freaky and full of crazy visuals that it proves entertaining regardless of the somewhat confusing plot. Matsui, as Sayuri, puts in a strong performance as the girl caught up in a strangely frightening situation, Takahashi is great as the mean sister whose face has a rather unusual sheen, and director Noriaki Yuasa keeps the pace brisk while providing plenty of kaleidoscopic psychedelia and surreality during Sayori's dream sequences, and a couple of surprisingly nasty moments: a nun stabbed in the chest and Sayuri having her hands mashed to a bloody pulp while hanging from some scaffolding. Fans of classic Japanese horror and Asian weirdness will find plenty to enjoy here.

At the beginning there is this young short haired girl happy leaving her Catholic orphanage and being reunited with her father and mother but she doesn't seen to remember her and straight away he has to go off to Africa. A lot goes on here with snakes and spiders and a hole in the ceiling somebody peeks at her and sometimes snakes through there. There are dreams with surreal images and it seems there are other people in the house. Are they ghosts or another sister and even someone else, surely not the snake girl with silver haired witch? So much goes on but it is rather low budget and it is really not so brilliant. Now and again I'm afraid I find it rather silly and even made we laugh out loud as I thought much of it reminded me of Saturday morning pictures many years ago.

A classic shoujo manga come to life!

While I can understand why this film wouldn't be for everyone, those who do fall into it's niche will love this film. A rather campy film about a girl who get's adopted back in to her birth family, only to find out something's not quite right. A great film with trippy, & surreal visuals,along side fun, & crazy props. if you walk into this film looking to get scared you'll probably be disappointed, but if you love campy vintage films with horror motif's then you will be satisfied. If you're a fan of Nobuhiko Obayashi's "house" (Hausu) then this film will fit right in.

While it may not achieve a major pinnacle of horror, the story is filled with disquieting imagery of the sort that surely would have haunted my nightmares had I seen this when I was a child, and sharp dynamics that maintain fraught, discomforting tension. Watching as an adult there's much more to appreciate on deeper levels - like Akira Uehara's lush, vibrant cinematography, the first element of the picture to truly catch one's eye, or the splendid production design and art direction. All the work that went into realizing the abnormal aspects is terrific, including excellent effects that to me seem to match or exceed what Hollywood was turning out in the same timeframe. The costume design, hair and makeup, creature effects, and editing, all directed to the same ends, are just as swell. And tied together with a slew of good performances, and Noriaki Yuasa's capable direction, the result is a finely made picture that's compelling and satisfying. While the genre sensibilities on display here may not be as robust as what modern viewers may be accustomed to, 'The snake girl and the silver-haired witch' is still a lot of fun!

One recognizes a kinship with other narratives of a similar nature: from fairy tales, to Italian horror and giallo, to more recent features of dark fantasy or horror revolving around strained and harmful family dynamics, and outside forces that require a united front to oppose. Why, it's easy to think that Guillermo del Toro may well have found inspiration from this title. With that awareness the movie becomes easier to engage with, not least as the plot takes its time to come into definitive focus, and feels a little forced as it's revealed mostly through dialogue that as it presents is less than perfectly clear. There's a lot going on here, as a matter of fact, and I rather think the picture would have benefited from tighter narrative writing to let its value shine through all the more. Even at that, however, Kimiyuki Hasegawa's screenplay is wonderfully strong, with characters of distinct personality and complexity, tense dialogue, and rich and powerful scene writing. That the plot itself could have stood to be firmed up is a little unfortunate, but ultimately the weakness seems minor in light of how grim and absorbing the picture becomes, even such as it is.

The climax is especially well done, inculcating a sense of thrills as all the mounting tension is released in a sustained heavy flow. Through it all Yachie Matsui gives a great performance as protagonist Sayuri, demonstrating able skill for one so young, and among others Mayumi Takahashi also stands out with the fierce display she puts on as Tamami. All the contributions of the crew behind the scenes are super, the film-making fundamentals are impeccable - from top to bottom 'The snake girl and the silver-haired witch' is unexpectedly engrossing and rewarding, a viewing experience rather surpassing the assumptions one may tend to have of horror flicks generally, let alone those of the mid-twentieth century which often carry different notions thereof. This may not appeal to all comers just as a matter of personal preference, but I'm pleased with how enjoyable and well-rounded this is when all is said and done, and I happily give it my enthusiastic recommendation!

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch is essentially a gothic fairy tale that should appeal to older children, teenagers and young adults who like gloomy, imaginative and surreal stories that walk off the beaten path. The story revolves around joyful orphan girl Sayuri who got mixed up with another baby at the hospital when she was born. Many years later, her real family has found her and welcomes her to a luxurious mansion. Her father is a biologist who protects her in a caring but strict way. Things however spiral out of control when the father must go on an expedition to Africa for several weeks. Sayuri struggles to get along with the severe housekeeper, her amnesiac mother and the girl who was mistakenly thought to be the family daughter. As Sayuri slowly discovers her family's sinister past, she gets exposed to life-threatening dangers and must rely on the staff from her religious orphanage to survive.

This movie hasn't lost any of its unique charme and still entertains swiftly from start to finish nowadays. The film's lead actress Matsui Yachie is doing an outstanding job at playing a friendly, innocent and positive heroine viewers will care about. The supernatural, religious and horrific elements related to the family's past still send shivers down the spine. The special effects are simple yet efficiently used with creative costumes, diversified light techniques and scary sounds. The film's dramatic climax starts with an unexpected twist and concludes with a breathtaking action sequence that is ahead of its time.

The only element one could potentially criticize is that the story is somewhat predictable until said twist as it borrows heavily from Japanese fairy and folk tales. However, it has rarely happened that such tales have been adapted as cleverly as in The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch. The film's atmosphere, flow and intensity are second to none.

At the end of the day, anyone fascinated by sinister fairy tales and ancient Japanese culture should definitely watch this movie. Its acting performances, perfect mixture of drama and horror elements, creative special effects, efficient twist and breathtaking conclusion make this film an overlooked classic that deserves much more attention, recognition and respect. Make sure to purchase the release by Arrow Films that comes with informative additional features and a colourful booklet describing how this forgotten gem came to life.