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IMDbPro

Onibaba

  • 19641964
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
20K
YOUR RATING
Onibaba (1964)
Two women kill samurais and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.
Play trailer2:21
1 Video
80 Photos
DramaHorrorThriller
Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
20K
YOUR RATING
    • Kaneto Shindô
    • Kaneto Shindô
  • Stars
    • Nobuko Otowa
    • Jitsuko Yoshimura
    • Kei Satô
    • Kaneto Shindô
    • Kaneto Shindô
  • Stars
    • Nobuko Otowa
    • Jitsuko Yoshimura
    • Kei Satô
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 118User reviews
    • 113Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:21
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos80

    Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura in Onibaba (1964)
    Onibaba (1964)
    Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura in Onibaba (1964)
    Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura in Onibaba (1964)
    Jitsuko Yoshimura in Onibaba (1964)
    Onibaba (1964)
    Nobuko Otowa in Onibaba (1964)
    Nobuko Otowa in Onibaba (1964)
    Jitsuko Yoshimura in Onibaba (1964)
    Onibaba (1964)
    Jitsuko Yoshimura in Onibaba (1964)
    Onibaba (1964)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Nobuko Otowa
    Nobuko Otowa
    • Kichi's Mother
    Jitsuko Yoshimura
    Jitsuko Yoshimura
    • Kichi's Wife
    Kei Satô
    Kei Satô
    • Hachi
    Jûkichi Uno
    • Samurai General
    Taiji Tonoyama
    Taiji Tonoyama
    • Ushi
    Someshô Matsumoto
    Someshô Matsumoto
    • Runaway Warrior A
    Kentarô Kaji
    • Runaway Warrior B
    Hosui Araya
    • Ushi's Follower
    Fudeko Tanaka
    Fudeko Tanaka
    • Old Woman
    Michinori Yoshida
    • Samurai with Blood
    Hiroyoshi Yamaguchi
    • Horse Riding Samurai A
    Hiroshi Tanaka
    • Horse Riding Samurai B
    Kanzô Uni
    • Horse Riding Samurai C
    Nobuko Shimakage
    • Child
      • Kaneto Shindô
      • Kaneto Shindô
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Onibaba's literal meaning is Demon Hag.
    • Goofs
      When the two soldiers get off their horses and start fighting in the river the audio of the water splashing goes on and off. In addition when the swords clash there is no sound of clanging heard.
    • Quotes

      Woman: I'm not a demon! I'm a human being!

    • Alternate versions
      Originally cut in England when released in 1968, though the video releases are uncut.
    • Connections
      Featured in Cinematic Venom Presents: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Onibaba (1964) (2016)

    User reviews118

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Death comes from within the ocean of reeds
    Onibaba is a supernatural horror film based on a Buddhist fable. It's about a couple of women in feudal Japan surviving the hardships of war by murdering and robbing stray samurais who wander unwittingly into their path. Their domain is a huge field of tall reeds with an ominous deep hole at its centre where they dispose of the unfortunate men they kill. Things are complicated when a male neighbour returns from the war and unleashes sexual tensions within the women which ends in horror. And that is to say nothing of the demon mask...

    Onibaba is an artistically strong piece of cinema. From the outset the film is aurally intense, with repetitive beating drums announcing the beginning of the tale. The widescreen frame is consistently used brilliantly, with beautifully lit black and white photography. From the constantly swaying reeds to the close-ups of the protagonist's faces, the visuals capture the mysterious yet ominous beauty of the natural world, while emphasising the intense emotions of the protagonists. The setting ensures that the atmosphere is one of claustrophobia. In fact one of the themes of Onibaba is the way that the natural landscape can shape the way we are. The field of reeds allows the women to get close enough to kill warriors; it is one of the things that shapes them into killers, as it allows them to murder at will undetected. Similarly, the film is an allegory on capitalism. The war has forced these starving women to find their own way to survive the hardships all around them. They take extreme measures to feed the capitalist machine, as they murder and sell on that which they steal to a local low-life. Capitalism has dehumanised them and the black hole in the centre swallows up the victims. But aside from this, it is an intense human drama intertwined with eerie supernatural horror. The scenes near the end of the film with the demon in the reeds are beautifully creepy. While the horrific curse of the mask results in some scary and disorientating final scenes. In addition, there is a powerful depiction of female sexuality. These women are no shrinking violets. They are aggressive, amoral and deadly.

    Onibaba is a film that is sumptuous both visually and aurally; yet its characters and story are devoid of beauty. It's one of the best examples of a horror art film.
    helpful•18
    5
    • Red-Barracuda
    • Nov 23, 2011

    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 4, 1965 (United States)
      • Japan
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Japan
    • Production companies
      • Kindai Eiga Kyokai
      • Tokyo Eiga Co Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 43 minutes
      • Black and White
      • Mono

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