The Snow Woman (1968)

The lives of a master sculptor and his young apprentice are changed forever when they meet an evil witch during a snow storm.

Director:

Tokuzô Tanaka

Writers:

Lafcadio Hearn (author-short story-Yiki-Onna), Fuji Yahiro (screenplay)

Stars:

Shiho Fujimura, Akira Ishihama, Machiko Hasegawa

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shiho Fujimura	...	Yuki, Yukionna
Akira Ishihama	...	Yosaku
Machiko Hasegawa	...	Okugata
Taketoshi Naitô	...	Minô
Mizuho Suzuki	...	Gyôkei
Fujio Suga	...	Sôju
Yoshirô Kitahara	...	Seiju
Sachiko Murase	...	Soyo
Masao Shimizu	...	Jiun
Izumi Hara	...	Shrine maiden
Jutarô Kitashiro	...	Matsukawa (as Jutarô Hôjô)
Tatsuo Hananuno	...	Shigetomo
Tokio Oki	...	Doctor A
Jun Fujikawa	...	Doctor B
Shin'ya Saitô	...	Tarô (as Shinya Saitô)

Storyline

The lives of a master sculptor and his young apprentice are changed forever when they meet an evil witch during a snow storm.

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Plot Keywords:

apprentice | frozen to death | buddhist statue | sculpture | female ghost | 

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Genres:

Horror | Romance

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

20 April 1968 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Snow Ghost

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Motion Picture Company,Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

"Ghost Story of the Snow Witch" - Effective ghost story told with modest means

This is essentially the same Snow Witch story as told in the well-known Japanese ghost film anthology, "Kwaidan". Here it is extended out into a 75 minute excursion into the supernatural.

A master sculptor and his apprentice are trapped in a bad snow storm after finding a special tree for carving a statue for the local temple. Finding refuge in an abandoned hut they celebrate their luck n finding the tree but soon they are visited by the Snow Witch who freezes the sculptor to death but takes pity on the apprentice. He must promise to never speak of this or she'll return and kill him. Back in town, the apprentice is promoted and given the task of making the statue. A mysterious beautiful woman arrives during a torrential rain storm and quickly falls in love with the apprentice. Soon she comes under the lustful eye of the evil Baliff who controls the town. And so it goes....

While the painterly method this story is told in Kwaidan is well-known and appreciated, here the story is accomplished with very careful lighting effects and lens filters. In some ways this is a much more beautiful telling of the story. Akira Ikufube provides a familiar yet unique score. Aside from a couple of clumsy spots in the script and the actor playing the apprentice underplays his part, this is an excellent film.