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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
    Investigation Into Jealousy
    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.
    helpful•42
    10
    • jmverville
    • Dec 9, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • 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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