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Onibaba More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 63 reviews in total |
33 out of 41 people found the following review useful:
Dogs In Heat, 27 January 2000
Author:
Roberto Azula (razula@yahoo.com) from Marietta, GA
This particular flick caught my attention with the box description of "an
old woman and her nubile young daughter lure unwary samurai into a
wheatfield to rob and kill them." Well, there wasn't much luring...most of
the samurais were just unlucky enough to wander into the old woman and
nubile young daughter's home territory...but the movie was still a superb
little find...in a suburban Blockbuster Video, of all places!
This movie, which I found to be faster paced than most Japanese period
pieces, is just DRIPPING with weird psychological overtones. The story
involves an old woman and her daughter-in-law living off the spoils of
wars.
Various samurai from countless wars are always stumbling into these
bandits'
territory and to be summarily jacked for their armor and weapons. It's one
big happy family until an old comrade of the daughter's husband returns
home
and reports that the daughter's husband is dead. We're never really sure
if
this man killed the husband or not...but that issue is soon is overshadowed
by the sexual tension of two women who haven't been with a fella for some
time. Eventually, the nubile young daughter helps herself to this new
lover,
much to the jealous rage of her mother-in-law. So the old woman hatches a
scheme to separate these two lovers...but keeping them apart is as
difficult
as keeping apart two dogs in...well, you get the idea.
The cinematography of this film is excellent. Each shot is meticulously and
lovingly shot, building the tension and supplying the canine symbolism.
The
music is unusual too...it starts off with some hepcat bebop and then
regresses into what I can only guess is theme music for an oni (Japanese
ogre).
I would highly recommend Onibaba for those evenings where everyone feels a
need to be disturbed and entertained at the same time. It also doesn't
hurt
that Jotsuki Yoshimuru, who plays the daughter-in-law, happens to be drop
dead gorgeous...in a punk rock sort of way. You'll see what I mean when you
check out this flick.
I doubt you'll find this flick at Blockbuster Video...unless you find one
in
the middle of a wheat field.....
33 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
An absolutely amazing piece of poetry, 3 February 2005
Author:
The_Void from Beverley Hills, England
To describe this film in one word, that word would have to 'wow', or
something to that effect. In short, Onibaba is an absolutely
spectacular cinematic spectacle, and one that has few equals in it's
field. In fact, it's the perfect fusion between art-house cinema and
atmospheric horror! Loosely based on a Buddhist fable, Onibaba tells a
story of lust, envy, wrath and betrayal which is wrapped up by way of a
hideous demon mask. Onibaba is a human drama before it's a horror movie
- all the character actions are driven by their various needs and
wants, and the all the comeuppance emancipates from there. The
characters and their actions are constantly fascinating, and it's that
which predominantly keeps the film alive. We follow a mother and her
daughter-in-law; a couple that are forced to eke out an existence in
war torn Japan by killing passing samurai's and selling their
belongings for food. Their existence is upset one day, however, when
the son's friend, Hachi, returns from the war to the place where the
two women live.
The title of the film roughly translates into English as 'demon woman',
and that is an apt title for this story. Although the film doesn't
contain any actual demons or other mythical creatures, the real horror
comes from the character actions and the film succeeds as a horror film
in that way. The atmospheric location, which consists of a huge area
covered in reeds, adds weight to film's claim to the horror genre also
and the location provides a truly stunning set for this story to take
place. The film also features a dark pit, which the women use to dump
the bodies of the Samurai they kill, which adds to the fantasy and
inventive element of the story. The film is cinematic poetry on many
levels, from the bleak yet beautiful cinematography, to the elements of
the location mentioned - all the way down to it's central piece of
imagery - the mask itself. The mask is the film's centrepiece, and the
part's where it features are the most memorable of the movie.
Prolific Japanese director Kaneto Shindô takes us on a tour-de-force of
atmospheric direction. He spends a fair amount of time focusing on the
reeds blowing in the wind and many of his angles focus on the sky,
which will no doubt irritate the less adept viewers amongst us - but
the rest of us know that this is a way for Shindô to aptly portray his
setting, and every instance when he did that was a delight for yours
truly. There are many great shots in this movie, and if you're a fan of
technical prowess, Onibaba is your film; and even if you're not, this
film is a must see.
18 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
ONIBABA (1964) ***1/2, 10 October 2004
Author:
MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
ONIBABA had been, for as long as I can remember, one of a select group
of art-house horror movies – namely Carl Theodor Dreyer's VAMPYR (1932),
Georges Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959) and Harry Kumel's DAUGHTERS
OF DARKNESS (1971) among others – which I seemed destined never to
catch up with in my lifetime. Thankfully, however, albeit all fairly
recently, I've succeeded in watching each and every one of them, the
latest case being Kaneto Shindo's film just a couple of days ago by way
of Criterion's remarkable presentation on DVD.
Seeing one particularly tantalizing still and reading about it in
film-reference books since childhood had certainly raised my
expectations sky-high. Well, having seen it now, I can safely say that
it's an excellent movie: striking cinematography, both evocative and
rich in imagery, is counterpointed by an unusual yet highly effective
music score; direction and acting are equally superb, and the film
easily ranks among the finest Japanese films (one of my favorite
exponents in World Cinema) I have ever seen. The film's overpoweringly
torrid, even carnal, atmosphere reminded me of Hiroshi Teshigahara's
WOMAN IN THE DUNES (1964), whereas its supernatural connotations recall
Masaki Kobayashi's epic horror compendium KWAIDAN (1964) – but also
look forward to Shindo's own KURONEKO (1968), an equally stylish (and
perhaps even more fanciful) ghost story.
Still, ONIBABA's reputation as a 'horror' film is somewhat misleading:
these elements only come into play during the film's last third (in
fact, the very few characters and equally minimal dialogue and plot
gives rise to a rather slow – but never tedious – pace), culminating in
a truly horrifying final sequence…yet they are so classily presented
that THIS is what most viewers remember about the film! Even so, I
think that the film's frank depiction of both uninhibited sexuality -
via the frequent daughter-in-law/neighbor sexual encounters and the
striking image of the nude 'mistress' within the sleazy trader's lair -
and repressed desire - the memorable scene of the externalization of
the mother's frustration (at her daughter-in-law's continuing sexual
activity and, with it, the realization of her own fading looks and
subsequent rejection by the neighbor) upon a tree trunk – is an equally
remarkable achievement.
In fact, I was somewhat surprised by the copious (if always tasteful
and inoffensive) amount of nudity in the film, though this was
certainly required not only by the themes discussed above but also by
the film's setting in the sweltering heat of Japanese marshes. From the
very first sequence – the elliptical and cold-blooded murder of the
ravaged warriors, reminiscent of an early one in Akira Kurosawa's THE
HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958) - the mother and daughter-in-law are seen
returning to their huts, gobbling up their miserable lunch and expire
of fatigue, practically naked, on their bunk-beds as any legitimate
bread-winner would do after a hard day at work, indicating that this
state of events has been their daily routine for some time now. For an
equally impressive look at the reality of the hardships imposed upon
those who stayed behind during the period in which the Japanese waged
feudal war on each other, one needs only to refer back to Kenji
Mizoguchi's sublime UGETSU (1953) - quite simply one of the most
beautiful black-and-white films ever made which, coincidentally, just
like ONIBABA, may also be regarded as an exquisite ghost story.
If I had to name one slight gripe I had with the film, it would be the
exact same one eminent British film critic Leslie Halliwell had had
with my favorite Luis Bunuel film, THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE
BOURGEOISIE (1972): '…makes all its points beautifully and then goes on
twenty minutes too long.' I don't concur with his judgment on the
Bunuel film but, in ONIBABA's case, the clandestine night-time journeys
of the daughter-in-law towards the neighbor's hut do tend to get
repetitious, although I must say that the recurring swishing sounds and
entrancing images of the reeds being parted by the girl's breathless
running is highly effective and, in the director's own view, full of
erotic implications. One thing I particularly liked about ONIBABA is
the film's ambiguous and slightly inconclusive ending: did the neighbor
get killed when he visited the trader's lair?; did the mother fall to
her death in the very same pit she used to 'store' her victims?; how
would the daughter-in-law be able to survive now that both her
accomplices have met their doom?
The DVD extras, especially Shindo's delightful interview, were both
illuminating and entertaining. I do hope Criterion proposes such
classic Japanese fare more frequently (only Kurosawa seems to be amply
represented so far) as one really cannot get enough of them…
19 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Investigation Into Jealousy, 9 December 2004
Author:
J. M. Verville from Seoul, Republic of Korea
Onibaba is a very well done film, purposefully using black and white
cinema to its' advantage in this stunning portrayal of murder,
jealousy, and uncontrollable human instinct in a dark period of Japan's
history.
A film that aims at portraying the baser side of human nature and
investigating human psychology, it is chalk-full of symbolic scenes and
sequences. From start to finish it draws you in with the odd imagery
and scenery of Japan's rural areas, and even though in this film though
there are very few characters and elements that are to it, both
visually and literally, through its' minimalism it effectively tells
its' story.
This film is both very artistic & symbolic as well as literal and
upfront, juxtaposing very graphic, real images of the face of humanity
that demand the viewer to infer much throughout the whole of the film.
When going into this film, I would say that it is very important for
the viewer to think of the film as being very symbolic for the
instincts and base nature of mankind, and perhaps even a 'state of
nature' portrayal of humanity. If you watch this film with that in
mind, it will help with the inferences that one must make to get the
most out of this film.
As it stands by itself, aside from the deeper meaning, it is an
intriguing story that is a veritable 'slice of life' film in the darker
sense, viewing the way that people had to live during a period of war
and hard times in feudal Japan. It deals with the hardships that these
people face, and their method of survival, in addition to a very human
story of jealousy and portrayal with a very interesting culminating
point that I did not expect at all. The climax of the film is very much
worth the build-up, though at times it seemed to be rather slow.
Overall, a very important piece of film when it comes to the symbolism
and techniques employed. Through its' minimalism and black-and-white
cinematography we are really treated to a great film that is, of its'
own right, an influential and great movie. The cinematography is
exceptionally good, especially the use of the reeds and the light at
night.
I would recommend this film to anybody with a serious interest in film,
as well as anybody who likes a good film that investigates the darker
side of human nature.
14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Sexual tension run amok in feudal Japan, 18 February 2005
Author:
Prof-Hieronymos-Grost from Ireland
Set during a very dark time of war,where weapons and food are the items of barter due to their scarceness, which sees two different Emperors on the throne of Japan and Kyoto destroyed by fire….our story is that of a Mother and her Daughter–in-law who have been left on their own to fend for themselves while the son/husband of our main protagonists is away at war….The Mother and daughter duo take care of themselves by killing any stray Samurai/warrior that passes their way and stripping them of their armour and weapons which they then trade for millet from the unscrupulous Ushi. One night Hachi a neighbour who had been at war with the missing Husband/son arrives at their hut in a very bedraggled state and tells them of his untimely death.The women are distraught…..Hachi has made his intentions clear he wants the daughter-in-Law as his woman……The Mother afraid of being left alone warns the daughter off ……….The ensuing drama is a tale of their sexual tension in the high summer heat, which is exemplified by the swaying of the reeds/grass, the faster the reeds blow in the wind the higher the sexual tension .The mother plays on the fears of the daughter by telling her tales of Demons who prey on those who do wrong….the wrong being sex outside of marriage, but this is just a smokescreen as the mother throws herself at Hachi and asks him to sleep with her…Hachi refuses, this is the final straw for the mother.The mother meets a Samurai General who is lost in the reeds, she kills him and takes the very scary Demon mask which he wore and wears it herself each night to scare the daughter when the daughter sneaks out for her nightly fix of lust with Hachi. This a very technically proficient film, not really a horror film until arguably the films last quarter…..it has surprisingly a lot of nudity which is not intrusive but is put there by Shindo to show that nudity is not really an issue for someone who has to kill every day just to survive. Shindo also uses Black and White to stunning effect at a time when it was probably easier to film in colour……..this is not a horror masterpiece……This is a Cinematic Masterpiece!
13 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
solid rural horror fantasy, 24 December 2004
Author:
fertilecelluloid from Mountains of Madness
Director Kaneto Shindo's ONIBABA is a fantastic, rich, atmospheric
horror film set in an amazing rural location. Its influence on decades
of rural-set genre pics is undeniable.
In a medieval, warring Japan, a wild, young woman and her mother-in-law
rob and kill lost samurai in order to survive. Problems begin when the
younger woman becomes involved with an intended victim.
Staged in a rural world of tall, swaying grass and swollen rivers, the
film contains little dialogue and little exposition. It relies heavily
on the non-verbal performances of the female leads and the superbly
conveyed location.
It is erotic, creepy, sensual, savage and beautiful.
Cinematic poetry.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Highly recommended, 8 April 2005
Author:
Atavisten from Tellus
In the 1400s raging wars between two emperors is being fought. This is
not about the wars, but about the poor people struck by it. In a rural
location camouflaged by a huge field of tall reeds are two huts. In one
of them a young woman lives with her stepmother, her husband went to
war. Having had failed crops three times that year they are stricken by
poverty. The only way for them to survive is to steal, and the only
things to steal are uniforms and swords from dead soldiers or heavily
wounded soldiers and then sell them to the underworld. Which by the way
is funny, I never thought of the underworld in rural medieval setting
before.
This story is just as grim as the demon on the cover. The wind howling
in the reeds make for very creepy atmosphere. The music consisting of
drums and brassy wind instruments really intensifies the drama.
Just as in sand in Teshigaharas equally excellent 'Suna no Onna' serves
as symbol, metaphor and is very important in creating atmosphere we
have in 'Onibaba' the tall reeds.
The theme in this, the basic needs and emotions of people, will never
be dated. The psychology is thick and real. They are victims of their
leaders actions. With all the wars being fought today this is still
happening today, please remember that.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Surprisingly entertaining and delightfully wicked, 11 July 2007
Author:
Potty-Man from Israel
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This film was not at all what I expected.
It had more of a plot than I thought it would. I had no idea what it
was about before I saw it, only that it was a stylish horror film that
draws influence from the Kabuki. I assumed it would be sort of surreal
and abstract, kind of like a nightmarish dance. But it was very
traditional in the way it stuck to the story. Which wasn't bad. In
fact, I really enjoyed it.
I also thought it would be slow and, to tell the truth, boring, but it
surprised me in how it kept my interest throughout. It didn't indulge
in needlessly long takes just for the sake of appearing "artistic", and
there was always something happening, always a development.
One of the great things about this film is the way the director uses
the surroundings to create a stuffy, cramped, yet isolated atmosphere.
The tall grass is always present and we never get to see what's more
than several feet away from the characters. Don't laugh, but it
reminded me of the fog in Silent Hill (the video game, not the movie).
SPOILERS BELOW:
I may be wrong, but I thought I detected some Hitchcockian influence in
the film. The whole domineering mother-figure theme, the way the
audience is in on the secret while the other characters stay oblivious.
Also the plot had that wicked streak that is present in episodes of
Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Especially the bit of "poetic justice" at
the end - she pretended to be a demon, therefore she became a demon.
I loved the tonal shift about two thirds of the way through, from
realistic drama to a sort of haunted folktale. And the ending was just
perfect.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
A warning for what human beings are capable of, 9 May 2005
Author:
Kaneto from aberdeen, scotland
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Loosely based on a Buddhist fable warning against the evils of
bitterness that is Onibaba. The Director Kaneto Shindo, has created a
psychosexual tale of dubious morality and unrequited lust which is a
fantastic cautionary fable with a dark and unique atmosphere all of its
own, which in my mind puts it up with the greats of the horror genre.
The plot revolves around two women who live in feudal Japan who live in
mysterious marshlands who keep themselves alive off the death of
wandering soldiers by selling there armour and clothes. This allows
them to survive while the younger woman (Nobuko Otowa)'s husband and
the older woman (Jitsuko Yoshimura)'s son is away fighting in the wars.
However, all of a sudden they find the very nature of their daily
existence thrown into turmoil by anger, fear and jealousy, brought on
by a man named Hachi (Kei Sato), their neighbour. He returns from the
wars with the news that the younger woman's husband is dead, and
although initially distrustful, the wife strikes up a passionate affair
with him... much to the disgust of the older woman, whose anger is not
so much derived from a sense of immorality but that the older woman is
jealous of the younger woman as she to seeks a passionate night with a
man also, but later she realises that her younger accomplice might
leave with Hachi and have her fend for herself, which turns her
jealously to fear. Then, one night, a chance encounter with a passing
soldier who wears a terrifying demon mask gives a plan to the conniving
old woman involving a demonic visage and the daughter-in-law's natural
fear of hell. However not all goes to plan...
Stunningly beautifully photography by Kiyomi Kuroda which at times
gravely still and voyeuristic, at others, frightfully haunting, the
cinematography breathes as much life into this film as any of the
characters it captures. Also set to Hikaru Hayashi's unique score,
which combines a 60s jazzy aesthetic with a more traditional drum based
sound, Onibaba is frightening not so much for genuine horror moments
but for the fact that it serves as a warning for what human beings are
capable of. Like the best parables, it transcends its location and time
period and still resonates to this day with its darker aspects of lust
and hate.
8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Some films stay with you forever.This is one of them., 28 November 2001
Author:
terraplane from London
When I first saw this incredible movie many years ago I knew I had seen something unique.I can only re-iterate all the favourable comments which pre-ceed this note.If you have never experienced Onibaba then you are missing out on a movie which will disturb and move you.See it at once.
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