Kwaidan

Kwaidan (怪談, Kaidan, 1965) is a film directed by Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi and is based on one of Lafcadio Hearn's collections of Japanese folk tales, ' (1903). The film is split into four separate, discontinuous stories: "The Black Hair," "The Woman of the Snow (Yuki-onna)," "Hoichi, the Earless (Mimi nashi Hoichi)," and "In a Cup of Tea."

Related Topics:
1965 - Film - Japan - Director - Masaki Kobayashi - Lafcadio Hearn - Folk tales - 1903 - Yuki-onna - Hoichi, the Earless

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While Kwaidan is normally put into the horror genre, it is nothing like the vast majority of horror films (though perhaps one could make a few comparisons with a much less gory Suspiria). Kobayashi uses an unusual combination of artificial set pieces and colorful backdrops lit from behind for many of his outdoor scenes, lending them an almost fairy tale-like quality, the graveyard scenes from "Hoichi, the Earless" and the background depicting the giant eye of "The Woman of the Snow" being especially memorable. Kwaidan may only have specialized appeal today but at the time it marked the most expensive production in the history of Japanese cinema.

Related Topics:
Horror - Suspiria - Set piece - Backdrop - Fairy tale - Graveyard - Japanese cinema

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The battle depicted in part in the third story ("Hoichi, the Earless") is the Battle of Dan-no-ura (in the year 1185). It was a war fought between Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoritomo during the last phase of the Genpei War. The battle is depicted in the Japanese epic named Heike Monogatari. Hoichi is a biwa hoshi who plays a classical East Asian lute called Biwa.

Related Topics:
Battle of Dan-no-ura - Taira no Kiyomori - Minamoto no Yoritomo - Genpei War - Heike Monogatari - Biwa hoshi - Biwa

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~