Kwaidan (film)
Encyclopedia
is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film
directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn
's collections of Japan
ese folk tales
. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan
is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning "ghost story". It won the Special Jury Prize
at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival
, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
.
"The Woman of the Snow" is adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
(1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna
, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
"Hoichi the Earless" is also adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike
that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn's book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless
, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi
, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura
, a war fought between Emperor Antoku
and Minamoto no Yoritomo
during the last phase of the Genpei War
. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
"In a Cup of Tea" is adapted from Hearn's Kottō: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
, it is not gory or sensational, relying instead on slow buildups of tension and on quiet suspense. Kobayashi's visual style is expressionist, using obviously artificial sets and colorful backdrop
s lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale
-like quality (the graveyard
scenes in "Hōichi the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" are examples).
is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film
directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn
's collections of Japan
ese folk tales
. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan
is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning "ghost story". It won the Special Jury Prize
at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival
, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
.
"The Woman of the Snow" is adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
(1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna
, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
"Hoichi the Earless" is also adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike
that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn's book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless
, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi
, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura
, a war fought between Emperor Antoku
and Minamoto no Yoritomo
during the last phase of the Genpei War
. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
"In a Cup of Tea" is adapted from Hearn's Kottō: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
, it is not gory or sensational, relying instead on slow buildups of tension and on quiet suspense. Kobayashi's visual style is expressionist, using obviously artificial sets and colorful backdrop
s lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale
-like quality (the graveyard
scenes in "Hōichi the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" are examples).
is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film
directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn
's collections of Japan
ese folk tales
. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan
is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning "ghost story". It won the Special Jury Prize
at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival
, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
.
"The Woman of the Snow" is adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
(1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna
, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
"Hoichi the Earless" is also adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike
that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn's book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless
, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi
, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura
, a war fought between Emperor Antoku
and Minamoto no Yoritomo
during the last phase of the Genpei War
. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
"In a Cup of Tea" is adapted from Hearn's Kottō: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
, it is not gory or sensational, relying instead on slow buildups of tension and on quiet suspense. Kobayashi's visual style is expressionist, using obviously artificial sets and colorful backdrop
s lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale
-like quality (the graveyard
scenes in "Hōichi the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" are examples).
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
's collections of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese folk tales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan
Kaidan
Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning "ghost story". It won the Special Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival
1965 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*André Maurois *Olivia de Havilland *Goffredo Lombardo *Max Aub *Michel Aubriant *Rex Harrison *François Reichenbach...
, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
The four stories
"The Black Hair" was adapted from "The Reconciliation", which appeared in Hearn's collection Shadowings (1900). A man living in Kyoto divorces his wife, a weaver, for another woman, in order to attain greater social status. The marriage is unhappy, and his wife expels him from their home. He returns to his first wife, who readily accepts him, but later he discovers her to be no more than clothing, hair and a skull."The Woman of the Snow" is adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
, often shortened to Kwaidan, is a book by Lafcadio Hearn that features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects...
(1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna
Yuki-onna
is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba , but they are not the same.-Appearance:...
, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
"Hoichi the Earless" is also adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War...
that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn's book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless
Hoichi the Earless
is a character from Japanese mythology. His story is well known in Japan, and the best-known English translation first appeared in the book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn....
, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi
Biwa hoshi
Biwa hōshi , also known as "lute priests" were travelling performers in the era of Japanese history preceding the Meiji period. They earned their income by reciting vocal literature to the accompaniment of biwa music. Often blind, they adopted the shaved heads and robes common to Buddhist monks...
, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura
The ' was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On March 24, 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement.The Taira were outnumbered, but...
, a war fought between Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
and Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
during the last phase of the Genpei War
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
"In a Cup of Tea" is adapted from Hearn's Kottō: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
Cast
- Michiyo AratamaMichiyo Aratamawas a Japanese actress who appeared in leading and supporting roles in such films as Hiroshi Inagaki's Chushingura, Kihachi Okamoto's Samurai Assassin and Sword of Doom, and Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan, Hymn to a Tired Man and The Human Condition trilogy.- Filmography :* Suzaki paradise: Akashingō ...
as First wife (segment "Kurokami") - Misako Watanabe as Second Wife (segment "Kurokami")
- Rentarô Mikuni as Husband (segment "Kurokami")
- Kenjirô Ishiyama as Father (segment "Kurokami") (as Kenjirô Ishiyama)
- Ranko Akagi as Mother (segment "Kurokami")
- Fumie Kitahara as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kappei Matsumoto as (segment "Kurokami")
- Yoshiko Ieda as (segment "Kurokami")
- Otome Tsukimiya as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kenzô Tanaka as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kiyoshi NakanoKiyoshi Nakanois a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kawagoe, Saitama and graduate of Meiji University he was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1996 after serving in local assemblies in Saitama Prefecture for...
as (segment "Kurokami") - Tatsuya NakadaiTatsuya Nakadaiis a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s...
as Mi nokichi (segment "Yuki-Onna")
Style
While Kwaidan is often described as a horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, it is not gory or sensational, relying instead on slow buildups of tension and on quiet suspense. Kobayashi's visual style is expressionist, using obviously artificial sets and colorful backdrop
Theatrical scenery
Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether or not the item was custom-made or is, in fact, the genuine item, appropriated...
s lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
-like quality (the graveyard
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
scenes in "Hōichi the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" are examples).
See also
- List of submissions to the 38th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
External links
Text of Lafcadio Hearn stories that were adapted for Kwaidan- The Reconciliation at K.Inadomi's Private Library
- The Story of Mimi-nashi-Hōichi at K.Inadomi's Private Library
- Yuki-Onna at K.Inadomi's Private Library
is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
's collections of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese folk tales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan
Kaidan
Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning "ghost story". It won the Special Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival
1965 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*André Maurois *Olivia de Havilland *Goffredo Lombardo *Max Aub *Michel Aubriant *Rex Harrison *François Reichenbach...
, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
The four stories
"The Black Hair" was adapted from "The Reconciliation", which appeared in Hearn's collection Shadowings (1900). A man living in Kyoto divorces his wife, a weaver, for another woman, in order to attain greater social status. The marriage is unhappy, and his wife expels him from their home. He returns to his first wife, who readily accepts him, but later he discovers her to be no more than clothing, hair and a skull."The Woman of the Snow" is adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
, often shortened to Kwaidan, is a book by Lafcadio Hearn that features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects...
(1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna
Yuki-onna
is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba , but they are not the same.-Appearance:...
, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
"Hoichi the Earless" is also adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War...
that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn's book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless
Hoichi the Earless
is a character from Japanese mythology. His story is well known in Japan, and the best-known English translation first appeared in the book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn....
, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi
Biwa hoshi
Biwa hōshi , also known as "lute priests" were travelling performers in the era of Japanese history preceding the Meiji period. They earned their income by reciting vocal literature to the accompaniment of biwa music. Often blind, they adopted the shaved heads and robes common to Buddhist monks...
, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura
The ' was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On March 24, 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement.The Taira were outnumbered, but...
, a war fought between Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
and Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
during the last phase of the Genpei War
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
"In a Cup of Tea" is adapted from Hearn's Kottō: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
Cast
- Michiyo AratamaMichiyo Aratamawas a Japanese actress who appeared in leading and supporting roles in such films as Hiroshi Inagaki's Chushingura, Kihachi Okamoto's Samurai Assassin and Sword of Doom, and Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan, Hymn to a Tired Man and The Human Condition trilogy.- Filmography :* Suzaki paradise: Akashingō ...
as First wife (segment "Kurokami") - Misako Watanabe as Second Wife (segment "Kurokami")
- Rentarô Mikuni as Husband (segment "Kurokami")
- Kenjirô Ishiyama as Father (segment "Kurokami") (as Kenjirô Ishiyama)
- Ranko Akagi as Mother (segment "Kurokami")
- Fumie Kitahara as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kappei Matsumoto as (segment "Kurokami")
- Yoshiko Ieda as (segment "Kurokami")
- Otome Tsukimiya as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kenzô Tanaka as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kiyoshi NakanoKiyoshi Nakanois a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kawagoe, Saitama and graduate of Meiji University he was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1996 after serving in local assemblies in Saitama Prefecture for...
as (segment "Kurokami") - Tatsuya NakadaiTatsuya Nakadaiis a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s...
as Mi nokichi (segment "Yuki-Onna")
Style
While Kwaidan is often described as a horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, it is not gory or sensational, relying instead on slow buildups of tension and on quiet suspense. Kobayashi's visual style is expressionist, using obviously artificial sets and colorful backdrop
Theatrical scenery
Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether or not the item was custom-made or is, in fact, the genuine item, appropriated...
s lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
-like quality (the graveyard
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
scenes in "Hōichi the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" are examples).
See also
- List of submissions to the 38th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
External links
Text of Lafcadio Hearn stories that were adapted for Kwaidan- The Reconciliation at K.Inadomi's Private Library
- The Story of Mimi-nashi-Hōichi at K.Inadomi's Private Library
- Yuki-Onna at K.Inadomi's Private Library
is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
's collections of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese folk tales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan
Kaidan
Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning "ghost story". It won the Special Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival
1965 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*André Maurois *Olivia de Havilland *Goffredo Lombardo *Max Aub *Michel Aubriant *Rex Harrison *François Reichenbach...
, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
The four stories
"The Black Hair" was adapted from "The Reconciliation", which appeared in Hearn's collection Shadowings (1900). A man living in Kyoto divorces his wife, a weaver, for another woman, in order to attain greater social status. The marriage is unhappy, and his wife expels him from their home. He returns to his first wife, who readily accepts him, but later he discovers her to be no more than clothing, hair and a skull."The Woman of the Snow" is adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
, often shortened to Kwaidan, is a book by Lafcadio Hearn that features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects...
(1903). It depicts the folkloric character of Yuki-onna
Yuki-onna
is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba , but they are not the same.-Appearance:...
, a ghostly female figure who inhabits snowy regions.
"Hoichi the Earless" is also adapted from Hearn's Kwaidan (though it incorporates aspects of The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War...
that are mentioned, but never translated, in Hearn's book). It depicts the folkloric tale of Hoichi the Earless
Hoichi the Earless
is a character from Japanese mythology. His story is well known in Japan, and the best-known English translation first appeared in the book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things by Lafcadio Hearn....
, a blind musician, or biwa hoshi
Biwa hoshi
Biwa hōshi , also known as "lute priests" were travelling performers in the era of Japanese history preceding the Meiji period. They earned their income by reciting vocal literature to the accompaniment of biwa music. Often blind, they adopted the shaved heads and robes common to Buddhist monks...
, whose specialty is singing the The Tale of the Heike, about the Battle of Dan-no-ura
Battle of Dan-no-ura
The ' was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshū. On March 24, 1185, the Genji clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike clan fleet, during a half-day engagement.The Taira were outnumbered, but...
, a war fought between Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
and Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
during the last phase of the Genpei War
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
. Hoichi eventually finds himself singing to the ghosts of the very heroes that are the subject of his song.
"In a Cup of Tea" is adapted from Hearn's Kottō: Being Japanese Curios, with Sundry Cobwebs (1902).
Cast
- Michiyo AratamaMichiyo Aratamawas a Japanese actress who appeared in leading and supporting roles in such films as Hiroshi Inagaki's Chushingura, Kihachi Okamoto's Samurai Assassin and Sword of Doom, and Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan, Hymn to a Tired Man and The Human Condition trilogy.- Filmography :* Suzaki paradise: Akashingō ...
as First wife (segment "Kurokami") - Misako Watanabe as Second Wife (segment "Kurokami")
- Rentarô Mikuni as Husband (segment "Kurokami")
- Kenjirô Ishiyama as Father (segment "Kurokami") (as Kenjirô Ishiyama)
- Ranko Akagi as Mother (segment "Kurokami")
- Fumie Kitahara as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kappei Matsumoto as (segment "Kurokami")
- Yoshiko Ieda as (segment "Kurokami")
- Otome Tsukimiya as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kenzô Tanaka as (segment "Kurokami")
- Kiyoshi NakanoKiyoshi Nakanois a Japanese politician serving in the House of Representatives in the Diet as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. A native of Kawagoe, Saitama and graduate of Meiji University he was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1996 after serving in local assemblies in Saitama Prefecture for...
as (segment "Kurokami") - Tatsuya NakadaiTatsuya Nakadaiis a Japanese leading film actor.He became a star after he was discovered working as a Tokyo shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the early 1950s...
as Mi nokichi (segment "Yuki-Onna")
Style
While Kwaidan is often described as a horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, it is not gory or sensational, relying instead on slow buildups of tension and on quiet suspense. Kobayashi's visual style is expressionist, using obviously artificial sets and colorful backdrop
Theatrical scenery
Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether or not the item was custom-made or is, in fact, the genuine item, appropriated...
s lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
-like quality (the graveyard
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
scenes in "Hōichi the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" are examples).
See also
- List of submissions to the 38th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film