Onibaba - Criterion Collection Reviews

• Corpse-dealers and deserters and devil's faces

  
  By A2B8GXSCB1R05T on 2004-10-20
  The Noh mask in and of itself is a frightening thing. Featureless and unmoving, it is designed to change expressions when the wearer turns their head a certain way, and captures shifting shadows and light. Filmed in color, it would not have nearly the same impact as the devil's face that leers at us in "Onibaba." Director Kaneto Shindo has utilized the full power of this ancient Japanese artifact, using its supernatural powers to show us the true face of a very human evil.
  
  The story is of the flotsam and jetsam of war, the left-over non-combatants who must still live by whatever means they can while commerce and industry is devastated and all able-bodied men are soldiers. In this harsh environment an old woman and her daughter-in-law become carrion crows, murdering lone samurai who have escaped wounded from a battle, then selling their arms and armor to a dealer who then sells it back to the armies, to strap around more corpses-to-be and eventually be recycled into more profits for the women.
  
  Into this self-sustaining cycle comes Hachi, a friend of the old woman's son and young woman's husband, who claims that the son/husband is dead and he intends to leave behind the fighting and settle near the two women. The young woman is still young, and lusts for the life and vitality she senses in Hachi. The old woman, fearing abandonment and starvation, plays on the superstitious fears of the young woman, haunting her with a stolen Noh mask of a devil's face.
  
  The transformation from the death-cycle of the old and young woman, to the living passion of Hachi is a powerful transition in "Onibaba." The raw, naked sexuality between Hachi and the young woman (who is never given a name) is unexpected in a black and white film, and thus all the more powerful. The impotent, cool rage of the old woman, who would seek to stifle that fire and merely sustain existence as it was until she dies is terrifying in its selfishness. She would pull all such things into the deep, dark hole where she flings the corpses of the samurai she murders. Hmmm...a deep, dark hole that is the end of men's lives...there must be a metaphor there somewhere.
  
  "Onibaba" is a triumph of taking the masks of society away from human beings, and seeing them bare and naked in their primal state, surviving as they can under dire circumstances. Some choose life, some choose death.
  
  

• A DVD zone YOUR LIBRARY

  
  By A3R2YB0WTTB0IJ on 2004-03-19
  I remember having seen Kaneto Shindô's ONIBABA in a little arty movies theater when I was about 15 years old. I've never forgotten its atmosphere even if this event happened some 30 years ago. I was really haunted by this sex story that took place in a swampy prairie of the medieval Japan.

  Onibaba's characters are lost in the middle of a field covered with uncut grass and wheat. We have to dive into this scenery that is the fourth main character of the film if we want to discover this tragic and fantastic tale of love and jealousy. An impressing number of scenes are already part of Movie History and will stay for a long time in your memory : the love scenes between the young woman and Hachi, all the scenes involving the mask of the stray samurai and also the first murder committed by the women if I may select chosen moments of this masterpiece.

  As always, the copy presented by Criterion is nearly perfect. Bonus features include a recent interview with the director Kaneto Shindô who's well over 90 now and a home movie shot by Kei Sato during the shooting. Frankly, I can't see now what can prevent you from enjoying this unforgettable film.
  
  

• oh man, this is a scary movie!

  
  By A3MZD0WG4N9D8Z on 2006-05-04
  OK, it probably helped that I saw this film in a college dining hall when it first came out, and not comfortably ensconced on my couch with a PAUSE button. But you still won't catch me running through tall grass in the dark!
  
  As more than one reviewer has noted, the swamp grass is one of the main characters of this film. What an accomplishment!
  
  I would rank this with Throne of Blood as great Japanese film. The acting is superb. The story is gripping. The musical accompaniment is intense and cosmopolitan. Not a month has gone buy over the last 30 years that I haven't been scared of this film.
  
  

• A Wonderful Japanese Horror Gem

  
  By A1DW4T4PR9P3ID on 2004-04-09
  Although I had never seen the movie, I picked up the Criterion DVD for 'Onibaba' based on the plot alone. A widowed mother and daughter-in-law living in medieval Japan prey on wounded samurai wandering through the marshland. They strip the warriors of their weapons and armor and drop the bodies in a deep pit. They then sell the goods for food. Meanwhile, a former neighbor comes back from war only to upset relations between the women and himself.

  'Onibaba' is based on a Bhuddist morality tale, but was also filmed as an allegory of post-war A-Bomb victims. Regardless, there is a lot at work here, but I wasn't nearly prepared for how incredibly erotic this movie was. Tall reeds that brush the bodies of those who run through them. And nothing is overtly symbolic than the rabidly [excited] neighbor screaming into the pit, "I want a Woman!"

  But overall, 'Onibaba' is a high mark in Japanese filmmaking with striking, lush photography and a score filled with whips, cracks and human scats that mirror Morricone's Spaghetti Western scores. It is a slower paced film, but never boring if you let it envolop you like the tall reeds that swallow the characters of the movie.

  Criterion is the master at restoring older prints like this and once again, do not disappoint. Aside from a few scratches in the beginning and a minor editing glitch in the middle, this does magnificent justice to the black-and-white photography and looks like a nearly new print. As with nearly every Criterion DVD you get a written essay on the insert. Extras include behind the scenes footage of the shoot, a still gallery, and a 20 minute interview with the director. Well worth the price.
  
  

• vacuous adoration -- the death trap of a bad movie

  
  By ACQXZS0F9JSXL on 2004-05-07
  There is much to say of my surprise at the shimmering reviews this pathetic second rate Japanese movie has received here on Amazon. It is this very incongruency that compelled me to interject a grain of lucidity into this vat of oily adulation. Let's be honest about it -- the movie is horrendous, has very little artistic value, unless you consider the very repetitive shots of the pampas rustling in the wind to be art, and a mundane plot. The only virtues possessed by this flick are its obscurity and er badness -- all requisites for a drinking game with a bunch of degenerated con-vivants. Onibaba is NOT in the same ballpark as Kurosawa by a very long shot. I much rather recommend Kwaidan as far as old Japanese horror goes. Hope you don't fall into the snares, but if you must, don't be fooled into the pretense of substance.
  
  
• The Sensuousness of Shindo
  By A1J1163Q56YIVZ on 2006-08-29
  The deconstrunction and demystification of the samurai myth had been a project Akira Kurosawa had taken upon himself and that had seemingly reached a conclusion in YOJIMBO (1962), but Shindo's ONIBABA (1964) takes it a step further by presenting them as bedraggled and exhausted, hungry and at the mercy of two seemingly innocuous women. Shindo's world is hot and sultry, the characters weak and vulnerable. This is a very good depiction of the affects of war on the fringes of society and the lengths certain parties must go to in order to survive. As well as exploring this theme Shindo also adds several intriguing layers, sexuality and jealousy make a potent combination, as does the inserion of old Japanese folk tales. The result is a film that shows the eroticism of human beings in their most natural and stripped down state. Be hypnotised by the swaying grass fields and the sumptious black and white cinematography in this Japanese gem. Criterion's disc is very good.
  
  
  
• Brilliant Japanese tale of the supernatural
  By A3MLO4GAD2O9DL on 2002-10-22
  One of the greatest of all films of the supernatural, Onibaba, 1964, elicits shivers based on its perfect fusion of atmosphere, character, and setting. In feudal Japan, samurais coming home from warrior duty pass through fields of tall waving grass--a powerful leit-motif here--and are enticed by an older woman and her widowed daughter in law to follow them for a much-needed meal. But the two women have no intention of providing food for the men; they've constructed a booby trap that kills.

  Stripping the now-dead warriors of their armor, the two sell it for food; this is their nasty means of survival in a desperate land. The younger woman, however, needs more than food to survive. Her hunger for the touch of a man is greater than that for food and she finds one who she is sure will satisfy her. But her mother-in-law is enraged by this possibility. Finding a mask on one of the dead samurais, the old woman dons it, mimicking a demon, to frighten the younger one.

  The mother-in-law's scheme does not go as planned.

  The director, Kaneto Shindo, has here created a sparse, riveting tale that transfixes the viewer because of its down-to-the-bone simplicity. Greed, fear, jealousy, and rage are all expressed with a minimum of action, but when they are on display, they're intense and that much more powerful. The subtle black and white cinematography is a perfect complement to the film's simplicity of tone. No tale of the supernatural can ever work without at least one of man's baser emotions present, and it works much more effectively when the expression of those emotions is lean amd nean, as it is here.

  The much-touted current Japanese horror film, Ring, has been given enough attention by the media to, at long last generate its ultimate homage, an American remake. But Ring, while smacking all too easily of Cronenberg's influence, does not penetrate with its horror, save for one extremely disturbing scene; it's far too superficial.

  In contrast, Onibaba works extremely well because the characters of the two women are the focus, which leads ultimately to the horrific events that occur. For a powerful experience in real terror, see this film. It is a masterpiece of the supernatural.
  
  

• Weird, great film.
  By A308QC9XPFHFGJ on 2006-09-14
  This movie wasn't what I was expecting; people referred to it as a "horror film" but it really isn't. It's creepy and weird and sort of riveting. I had heard about it being sort of a "classic" of Japanese cinema and I can see why. The story is a bit like a folk tale come to life. Excellent cinematography. The acting is a little over the top but I find that a lot in Asian cinema in general. I liked it a lot and will definitely recommend it to others. A very interesting film. Watch it in the dark!
  
  
• Sure to give you the creeps
  By A3DENUJJ7EJ9KT on 2004-03-30
  A Japanese peasant woman and her nubile daughter in law make a living by killing war weary Samurai, throwing them down a pit, and selling their possessions. A no good neighbor who was fighting in the war returns and tells the women that their son/husband has been killed. Then he seduces the daughter in law, which fills the older woman with rage and jealousy.

  Throw in a haunting score with traditional Japanese instruments, black and white filming, and you have a very dark, yet erotic, movie. The tension builds until the ending, which is as freaky as they come.

  Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura put in strong performances as woman and daughter in law.

  With the recent popularity of Akira Kurosawa movies, there are sure to be Kurosawa fans who are interested in other great Japanese movies. This one is different - none of the characters in the film are admirable people. - but it is great it its own way and it will not dissapoint.
  
  

• Zen Masterpiece
  By A23IV3DK4EAXJH on 2004-11-29
  Ever wondered what Basho's work might have been like in the age of cinema? It could well have been this. Simple story line, paucity of artistic means, narrative flows linearly, tension builds at constant pace, until the end which is GONG-like, and ensuing reverberation... like the jump of the frog in water. Overall, a summit of artistic expressions. Be prepared to experience ART as life and LIFE as art!
  
  Besides the great actors , Sex is also cast in this film. Sex is manifest in its various forms: archetypal, aware or not, explicit or alluded at by, say, the waves of reeds in the wind, animal or poetic, and on and on. The score, by Hikaru Hayashi, is also remarkable.
  
  Wonderful and generous package from Criterion--no surprise here. Crisp sound and black and white images. Good commentary. It is of note to hear Kaneto Shindô, the author, saying that this film was enjoyed by the public much more so than by critics of its time--1964.
  
  
• historical value indeed!
  By A1DFJPUUDDYMW1 on 2001-12-14
  i'm not a media/film critic. Rather, i love japanese history and culture. (i've had the pleasure of living there a few years.) This movie, more than any other (including the well-known classics) has etched a permanent place in my mind. This movie will be cryptic indeed to the casual viewer. i suggest first-timers to rent before they buy. The time period addressed here is either prior to or radically distant from **ANY** japanese movie you have seen. THIS IS ITS VALUE. The pure superstition and reality of (possible) rural japan existence is all too clear. Ive never seen a more focused, palpable view from such a perspective.

  For those who havent seen the movie yet, the setting is in a rather ancient, agricultural japan. the very few characters live within a juxtaposed dynamic of sexual necessity, societal hieracrchy (respect of elders: "baba" is a derogatory term for "obachan" or "grandmother"), and a real dread of Oni (demons).

  All i can or should say is that this drama displays a rather (true) ancient japanese notion as to what penalties await those who trangress the "way it oughta be".

  I know this sounds trite and inadequate, but I am sure those who have seen Onibaba will appreciate the ambiguous candor.

  ALL I WANT IS MY DVD!!!
  
  

• A little known masterpiece
  By A1ZRFL30OIP3Z5 on 2002-02-14
  Ever since I saw this movie in the late 60's, Kaneto Shindo's economy of means to make such a great film was what most impressed me. A swamp and its surrounding reeds, and a dilapidated hut, conform the stage on which an old woman and her daughter-in-law survive as scavengers of the spoils of war that ravages feudal Japan, while their loved one is away fighting. A returning samurai enters into the picture, and the young daughter-in-law starts to have second thoughts about her fidelity to a husband who may probably be dead. The mother in law becomes suspicious of the scheming pair and decides to pose as a demon to thwart the couple's nocturnal encounters. This is basically the whole concept behind the movie, but there are no words to describe how the beautiful black and white cinematography, the art direction and the score --made up of an incisive counterpoint of drums-- blend so effectively to paint so crudely the most basic human instincts. The movie is at the same time a manifest against war, a rich palette about the extremes that people reach to survive, and an all-encompassing canvas of lust, greed, fear and human misery. The night wind trough the reeds, the passionate embrace of the adulterous lovers, and the ... madness of the old woman merge together through the masterly hands of Kaneto Shindo's to become a masterpiece full of suspenseful, erotic and horrific scenes. Highly recommended for those who enjoy those rare films that touch the most sensible parts of the soul. This movie was etched in my mind since that fist time, it is a movie I'll cherish for ever.I long for its transfer to DVD.
  
  
• obsessive
  By A3NVN6RBBBQ0JQ on 2004-10-13
  A lot of people tag this as "Japanese horror". I tend to view this as a stylized drama. It may be splitting hairs, but there really never is a "true evil" device that so-called conventional horror movies employ or dictate to the audience. What we have here are emotions running high in a time of desperate survival.
  Mother' and Daughter-in-law endure a meager life killing wayward samurai and pawning off whatever weapons and/or armor they recover. It's a harsh reality they must face until the hopeful day that Mother's son returns from the Japanese civil war. Hachi, their neighbor and fellow soldier of their son, escapes the fighting and brings news of her son's death. He settles and takes an immediate interest for the young Daughter-in-law. This unveils a fever pitch tapestry of lust, envy and paranoia on all sides when Mother confirms Daughter's "treachery". This stages a bizarre conclusion that, if not predictable, will stay with you for a while at least.
  Given that this a work from 1964, I would say that it must be applauded. It's filmed in black & white when mastermind Kaneto Shindo could've filmed in color. But he felt the environment needed sharp contrast, and it worked. The source sound is (more than) a little rough but manageable if in the right frame of mind. There obviously was no way to totally clean up the source track. But to dismiss ONIBABA because of some technical merits would be missing a great film.
  Speaking of which, the use of minimal dynamics to accent the performances is a signature style of early Japanese cinematography. The movie used basically just one location with endless fields of susuki grasses. He relied on emotion much more thsn dialog. And the music was predominantly percussive.
  The DVD extras were appreciated. It may not be the most eesential material, but they could've scrapped a lot of it if they wanted. Shindo, in a recent interview, graciously covers the intentions of the film. Kei Sato's (Hachi) personal video film reveals a lot of on-set action. Also a little booklet inside makes for a fun read.
  Highly recommended DVD for those looking for something outside the typical Hollywood fare.
  
  
  
• Two women will ignite the screen!
  By A16CZRQL23NOIW on 2005-12-05
  In a context of war and chaos, the rivalry between two women is developed; a young widow and his mother in law. When her ex daughter in law has been seduced by a warrior, she will unfold a diabolic stratagem.
  
  The feudal Japan was source of inspiration for many filmmakers. The customs of those ages allowed that directors such as Mizoguchi would offers us some of his most essential works.
  
  The pinnacle of this dramatis personae is the ardent courage of those two women. Every one of them to her own way , give a broad evidence of her surprising vigor that any masculine yoke would know to tame. This rivalry shines and confers of original brightness this film.
  
  Fabulous and awful landscapes that work out as an expressive frame of wild female fierceness. A genuine gem from this creative decade.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Brilliant film.
  By A34HMIVDFTKHEL on 2004-07-27
  ....but that is not the purpose of my rant here. Anyone who believes that Criterion delivers prints of the highest quality, think again. Go to www.DVDbeaver.com for a couple of screen comparisons and expert analysis. Criterion frequently come of second best, usually by cropping the image and other such horrors (which is something that a pround and self-satisfied company like them should never do). The extras supplied by Criterion are usually far more extensive than those provided by other companies, but not always. Sometimes Citerion provides sheer quantity (with a great deal of arbitrary stuff that looks impressive on the back cover) while other companies provide fewer extras, but material that gets to the point. There are many examples available at this site, check it out: a real eye opener. I was rather suprised to find out that the new Criterion print of Visconti's "The Leopard", while being a far superior quality print (as everyone raves on about) to that of the the other version, is actually CROPPED (!). This, for a company that prides itself on bearing the mark of absolute quality, is shameful. Perhaps I am being pedantic here, but for purists to whom the collection should appeal it is not 'all that'. I am personally not a 'image purist', but if I were I would be dissappointed to no end. Other (international) versions do have fewer (if any) extras, but are usually far cheaper.
  
  
• Good Karma Bad Karma
  By AL2WJXOLYHZH9 on 2000-09-05
  Onibaba is a very serious film that probe into your basic conscience. In a deserted village in feudal Japan when wars were fought meaninglessly and food was scarce, life came to basic forms. How could two woman peasants survived? They did it my killing ronins, samurai deserted from wars, and selling their outfits for food (Anybody who have learnt kendo know that these kind of outfit is expensive). So the two women knew the easy way out as these outfits were of short supply as for food.

  But what about the conscience. Will the two women get punishment for their "evil deed." Not the younger one who gets sexual satiation as well, perhaps when you are young and robust, you may need both for survival. But the older woman, the mother-in-law of the younger one, gets punishment by suppressing the sexual demand of the wife of her son, who got killed in the war. Why? I suppose it could only be explained by the Onibaba, the deep dark hole of our subconscious conscience in the time of atrocity and famine.

  A beautifully made film with erotic shots of nature, and its inhabitants. Onibaba also deliver one important message: once we put on a mask (disguise), we could never take it off(fate), as we mortals will always suffer from our karmas.

  Onibaba is a good karma from the director Kaneto Shindo!
  
  

• An eerie film set in medieval Japan
  By A14CC5FIPR5YVF on 2004-09-24
  Two peasant women - an old woman and her daughter-in-law - in medieval Japan kill lost samurai in order to sell their clothing and weapons for much-needed food. When their neighbor returns from the wars alone, he threatens to break up the duo by seducing the daughter-in-law. Afraid theat she might be left alone, the old woman hatches a unique plan when she steals a demon mask from lost samurai, not realizing the dire consequences.
  
  Director Kaneto Shindo has crafted an eerie and creepy film shot almost entirely in a field of tall reeds. Very little to the soundtrack except for some dialogue and the sound of wind whipping through the reeds. His use of lighting and the black-and-white film also add to the movie's effectiveness. A great film to send shivers down your spine.
  
  
• What's the price tag to save your soul?
  By A6DOCZ10B7JAJ on 2008-03-27
  The screams of the demons that lie dormant in our actions
  can't be silenced by the comforts of sleep...
  Your nightmare will surface
  
  ONIBABA--Devil Woman
  Like a good ghost story? They don't get no better than this! This explores the bottomless depths of human morality.
  A mother and her daughter-in-law are forced to scrounge for survival. In desperation they murder lost samurai and dump their bodies down a deep mysterious hole in the field. This hole seems to be metaphorical for hell, or purgatory. Very much a holding place for their sins.
  When their neighbor returns home from battle, he presents a whole new problem. They soon get swallowed in a vortex of deception, betrayal, lust, and greed.
  This is a mesmerizing and chilling tale. Extremely well-written and acted. It has some great philisophical and spiritual statements to ponder. Some dark eroticism to tempt any urges of the flesh. Lots of stark images that will penetrate and absorb into the murky unexplored confines of your imagination.
  Seriously, they flat out can't make 'em like this anymore. Highly recommended.
  
  
  
  
• Samurai noir (with eroticism)
  By on 2000-12-05
  This is the darkest of Samurai tales about two women, one old and one young, who lure Samurai into a swamp to kill them and sell their belongings. There is a crackling current of eroticism in the primal forces of the swamp that is both subtle and powerful. When love enters the scene things get complicated, as they so often do. The term onibaba means the old demon, and evil is well represented here. This is a little known gem that really cries out for a cleaned up Criterion DVD release. Beware...the VHS copies I have seen are not of very good quality.
  
  
• An exceptional horror story...
  By A6ADO7B6FUVN on 2004-04-02
  War and famine has worn out Medieval Japan which has brought a mother and her daughter-in-law to the edge of desperation as they have been forced to lead a life of lawlessness. The two women have become merciless murderers as they hunt for weak and fallen warriors that are lost in the tall grass of the marshland in which they live. The women dumps the dead bodies in a deep and dark hole after they steal the weapons and belongings of the warriors. The stolen goods are sold to a crooked salesman for a meager sum of grain and rice. When a dubious neighbor returns, the neighbor begin to show interest in a late friend's wife, which later develops to an passionate affair. Onibaba is based on a Buddhist legend that was told in order to teach moral values. Shindô directs with a skillful eye as he tells the story of the two woman and the affair that develops into an exceptional horror story. In the end, Onibaba leaves the audience with an excellent cinematic experience.
  
  
• mask beneath the flesh
  By A2CRIEA7FXEFST on 2004-07-27
  In this 1965 film director Kaneto Shindou creates haunting spectacle that takes place shortly after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. While Emperor Godaigo's faction is furiously fighting his one time ally Ashikaga, the families of peasants conscripted into the army suffered not only anguish because their men were gone, but severe hunger and poverty because their men are off wetting the earth with their blood instead of planting crops.
  
  In this movie the viewer is introduced to one such small family: a mother and a daughter in law. Although many might have perished in such hardship, this duo survives by attacking wounded samurai and selling their spoils to a man named Ushi, who sells the dead samurais' possessions back to the armies.
  
  Although they were not living a life of ease, The nameless mother and daughter were living in at least momentary peace. That is until Hachi, the friend of the mother's son, returns alone. He states that Kichi, the son, was killed by irate farmers when they tried to steal some food. Both mother and daughter-in-law are quite suspect about this man's arrival, believing that he maybe had killed Kichi.
  
  The daughter-in-law keeps her distance from Hachi at first, but her more primal desires get the better of her and she soon begins to meet Hachi every night. The mother is quite distraught about this situation because she believes that she will be unable to survive without the help of her daughter-in-law. However, there is nothing she can do to control the younger woman. However, that is until she acquires a noh mask of an oni from a samurai. She begins to wear this mask to scare her daughter in law, and it works fine at first, but as time passes...
  
  This is a good film. It shows in great detail what individuals had to go through during the very trying times after the Kamakura Shogunate fell. It shows people's willingness to do anything to survive and it also shows individuals stripped down to their Id.
  
  
• Why, This Is Hell; Nor Am I Out of It
  By AGSWTH7SP2256 on 2005-06-18
  "Onibaba" is a great Japanese horror film from the 1960's, one that should be of interest to fans of the the recent wave of "J-horror" of the past few years. I could spot a couple of influences on more recent movies in the hair-raising opening sequence alone. The hole obviously inspired parts of "Ringu" and "The Ring"; and the location and the violence calls to mind the climax of Martin Scorsese's "Casino" with Joe Pesci and his brother. Plus, the IMDB says that William Friedkin based his subliminal shots of the demon in "The Exorcist" on the mask in "Onibaba."
  
  This movie grabs you from the very first shot and doesn't let go until the ghastly end. The pounding music from Hikaru Hayashi is one of the more effective scores I've recently heard in a film. The tall, wet waving grass, crude huts, and sudden violent action are all beautifully and ominously photographed. So is the jolting sexual triangle that drives the plot forward. One of the things this movie is about is lust and its consequences. This sex is not meaningless; it's apocalyptic and tragic in its consequences. It's also a form of greed, which is another subject of this film. Even in the war-ravaged countryside of medieval Japan, one has to remember one's humanity; something that is recalled too late by these characters. You could call this film Japanese film noir until late in the film when it dives into pure horror. A masterful, unforgettable tour-de-force.
  
  
• Onibaba (1964) - Kineto Shindo
  By A3G77QXVTLRC6F on 2005-10-07
  Onibaba is a film that is almost all atmosphere. From the great cinematography, to the drum beat soundtrack, to the unique and quite exotic performances of the lead actresses, there is never a single moment when you feel you've left this haunting place. The location, dominated by the tall grass that weaves in the wind, becomes a character in it's own right. The mix of both horror and folklore give the film a true form of originality. There are, however, a few plot holes that detract from the overall feel of the story, but Onibaba is a really good film that creates an incredible atmosphere allowing it to transcend the confines of it's genre.
  
  
• Can You Dig it?
  By A20HNT8HYIYY0X on 2006-10-18
  The general belief that the 1960's was the ground-zero for massive sociological upheaval is one that generally forgets that that decade was almost half over by the time it became the era we remember it for. Until Lee Harvey Oswald's starting rifle ushered in the Love and Napalm dynasty, the first part of the 60's was really a 1950's hangover.
  Roughly speaking, `The 60's' only kicked in when the Beatles Landed in America in '64 and ended when the American's landed on the moon five years later. (Were they trying to tell us something?) The so called permissive society emerged from the cultural turbulence of a `swinging London', a `flowered up' San Francisco and a burning Saigon and, as the history books would have it, appeared to challenge everything. Overt sexual, pharmaceutical and political references in entertainment became de rigor and everyone, it seemed, were cutting-edge pioneers at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. Meanwhile on the other side of the planet, and away from `the world', it was just another day at the office for director Kaneto Shindo when he released his haunting sex/death opus Onibaba.
  
  Onibaba (`Demon Hag') is based on a Buddhist fable and tells the story of an old woman and her young daughter-in-law during 14th century feudal Japan (or 16th, or 17th depending on who's website you use to check these things) who live in a seemingly endless swamp of high reeds and survive by murdering lost or renegade Samurai warriors.
  They strip their victims of their armour to sell for food then dispose of the bodies in a deep dark ominous hole.
  One day a masked stranger is passing and forces the old woman to help him find his way to Kyoto. She asks him why he hides his face behind a creepy demon-Noh mask and he tells her that he is so beautiful it would blind her to look at him. She tricks him by leading him to the hole where he falls in. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she climbs down into the hole littered with her rotting victims to see the man's `beautiful face' which turns out to be more Robin Williams than Robbie Williams. Disappointed, she takes the mask and uses it to disguise herself as a demon to scare her daughter-in-law away from the door of a man she is having an illicit affair with and who, she believes, will run away and leave her alone to fend for herself. The plan backfires when the mask clings to her face turning her into the demon she pretends to be.
  
  The hole is the key element here and is a constant presence throughout the film and seems to represent both the womb and the crypt; the entrance at which life and death pass each other to and from this world and the next. The old woman's desperate venture into the hole for a glimpse of beauty mirrors her hope that perhaps there is still some vestige of beauty within her. Her discovery reveals there isn't, thus setting in motion her `girl who cried demon' comeuppance.
  Onibaba's psychosexual symbolism and nudity is treated in an offhand manner, unlike western movies of the period which would, if only they could, have turned this into the films primary selling point. Onibaba rendered the `progressive free West' way behind the game in terms of what was `happening' in an age where taboos were supposed to have been broken every ten minutes. Onibaba was immediately banned on its release in the U.K and only given an `X' certificate in 1968 with cuts. It would be 1994 before we were considered grown up enough to see the uncut version. So much for the `let it all hang out' generation's brave new world.
  
  
  
• A good film version of a classic fable.
  By AI0OAQ6E2O8VF on 2005-01-23
  This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
  
  "Onibaba" is the retelling of an old Buddhist fable. The film version is quite well made and has some nice scenes.
  
  The film is about a man living a marsh with his wife and mother. They rob and kill passers by for their belongings which they sell and throw their bodies in a deep pit near their hut. Later the mother finds a mask from a samurai she killed and she uses to scare her daughter-in-law. But when she tries to remove the mask, it won't come off.
  
  The film has some great scenery and some great effects. There is also some nudity in the film which may offend some viewers. The acting is also good and the make-up effects are also quite good too.
  
  The special features on the DVD are quite good also.
  
  There is some behind the scenes footage done on a super-8 camera, a stills gallery featuring behind the scenes photos and drawings as well as promotionsl material. There is the original theatrical trailer, an interview with writer/director Kaneto Shindo, multiple essays in the liner notes as well as an English translation of the Buddhist fable which inspired the film.
  
  This is a great example of traditional Japanese horror films and is a must see for fans of the genre or the films "Ringu" or "Kwaidan."
  
  
• Unusual and provocative
  By on 2001-02-22
  I generally expect, when I pop a Japanese horror movie into my VCR, to be treated to an hour and a half of staring at an iguana with severe halitosis and an overzealous pituitary gland, using taxicabs for Hackey Sacks in downtown Tokyo. This movie is the exception to that rule.

  "Onibaba" is a psychological fable, among other things. Set in medieval Japan, it features a codependent mother-daughter team, who survive by luring errant samurai warriors back to their lair, and then robbing and killing them. Over the course of the film, the daughter begins to feel an attraction for one of the warriors, and starts wanting to begin a new life, away from her mother. The mother, however, is evidently even more possessive than Norman Bates', and poses as a demon (by wearing a demonic mask) in an attempt to scare the suitor samurai away. Things get really scary when she realizes she cannot remove the mask...

  This really is a spooky film. You will be reminded of "King Lear" in some ways, in the sense of the mothers quandary over giving up her power over her daughter. It's one of the few horror movies that seriously scares you, and you will find yourself reflecting on it for a long time afterwards. Two thumbs up.
  
  

• A Mesmerizing And Haunting Film: Very Atmospheric!
  By A2F5PAC9I5SCG6 on 2006-07-31
  Director Kaneto Shindo made a truly great film with "Onibaba." The atmospheric scenes in the film are terrific. Especially the ocean-like waves of the tall pampas grass surrounding the two main protagonists' hut. The setting for this film takes place in 16th-century war torn Japan. A poor mother (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) murder lost or wandering samurai who happen to unfortunately pass their run-down hut.
  
  It is a time of starvation due to all the warring, and in order for them to survive, both mother and daughter-in-law kill the warriors for their armour and weapons: which they in turn sell for grains of rice. Moreover, they dump the bodies into an ominous looking pit not far from their hut. Events take an ominous turn for the worse, however, when one of their former neighbors, Hachi (Kei Sato) returns and begins to have a sexual affair with the daughter-in-law. As a result, the mother, whose son has been killed, according to Hachi, becomes jealous of this change in her relationship to the daughter-in-law.
  
  However, the plot thickens when a samurai wearing a Noh mask arrives on the scene: claiming to be the most handsome man alive. Moreover, in the mother-in-laws encounter with the samurai, she is able to acquire this samurai's Noh mask. [No spoilers]. It is here that events will take on a more ominous tone. Not wishing to be alone; and fearful that Hachi will take her daughter-in-law from her; thereby leaving her alone, the mother-in-law hatches a scheme to frighten the daughter-in-law away from the neighbor.
  
  She does this by wearing the Noh mask, and telling the daughter frightening tales of what happens to those who run off to make love to others. It is her way of trying to control her daughter-in-laws relationship and not be left alone. However, everything backfires on the mother-in-law, as there is more to the Noh mask than she realizes.
  
  This film is not a horror film, however, one can sense the feeling of terror through the imagery and nuances in the film, which in turn give the viewer a creepy and suspensefully crafted tale. Director Kaneto Shindo was able to bring a well developed story and bring breath life into the characters. You can sense the horror of the loneliness and isolation as the scenery gives one the feeling of dread.
  
  I remember seeing this film along with Kwaidan in late 1977, in an old run-down theatre in Paris, France. It was raining heavily, and I decided to see this double-feature until the weather cleared. It was the only time I have ever seen this film on the big screen. The atmosphere inside the theatre, along with the patrons sitting inside made for a wonderful viewing.
  
  One of the most memorable moments in the film for me was the suspenseful atmosphere of the hut where the daughter-in-law and mother live. Surrounded by tall pampas grass, and with the black and white film, there is an ominous feeling to the movement of the grass when the wind causes it to wave back and forth during the day or night. Truly mesmerizing. This movie works perfectly in black and white. A must have for every cinema collector.
  
  
• "There are demons here too"
  By A2EARO837IXZW5 on 2001-08-23
  When I first saw the opening shot of the THE HOLE i felt that this would be some old B-Movie but i was amazed to discover what a beautiful peice of art it was. The story is of a mother living in a marshy expanse in the country in a feudal japan under the constant warring shoguns, bitter of the world around for the taking the life of her only son, and even more so of the bearer of news she restrains her daughter-in-law, who she uses as a replacement for her lost son, from pursuing romantic interests with a doctrine free runaway samurai. The mother performs this by guising as a demon and frightening her, but fate takes it's toll as the mother is unable to remove the mask, when the daugther does undernearth the meddling mother's face has been scarred and deformed. This frightens the daughter and causes her to flee.

  There is alot of deep meaning to this story that teaches us that by limiting others through envy in the end we shall never benefit from it. Whta I enjoyed about the movie was the ambience. Shots of the long grasses swaying individually in the wind gave a feel as if the story was timeless and uninterrupted. The occurence was isolated and uncomplicated. It was in another world.

  There is a lot to learn from this movie, i recommend it to any who seek a moral reasoning or enjoy fantastic psychological horrors.
  
  

• incredible
  By A2WJLJAUQ41X2X on 2004-03-18
  I've loved this film ever since I saw it on tv when I was a kid so it's great to own this spectacular Criterion edition. The transfer is stunning - it looks just amazing.
  This is a truly hypnotic film with its gloriously haunting cinematography. If you're a fan of Japanese cinema this is quite simply a must have.
  
  
• 4 ½ Stars: A Haunting Tale of Sex, Terror and Survival....
  By A2UUP58XPQW3GF on 2008-03-27
  ONIBABA (1964) precedes the Japanese classic "Kwaidan". This film is shot in its entirety in black and white, the film is Kaneto Shindo's masterpiece. Based on Buddhist folklore about morality, love and the manifestation of more refined emotions. The film is excellently executed, words, gestures and actions are conveyed with such emotional content that the film may just prove compelling even if it was made as a silent film.
  
  A 45 year old woman (Nobuko Otawa) and a daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) struggle to survive when a war breaks out between feuding clans. Hungry, penniless and desperate, they resort to wanton acts of murder, they prey on lost or wounded samurai, killing them and taking their armor, valuable swords and sells them to a war profiteer (Taiji Tonoyama). The opening act is a grisly depiction of the two women slaughtering two unsuspecting samurai, not exactly a subtle way to begin a tale based on fable.
  Their lives become intertwined with Hachi (Kei Sato), a neighbor who returns from the field of battle with the news that their husband/son had been killed in combat. Left without a spouse, the daughter-in-law becomes attracted to Hachi, and he with her. What happens next is a frightful, sensual wind of lust, sex, envy, greed and murder...the kind that may catapult the trio into a downward spiral into hell.
  
  "Onibaba" means "demon woman", the film is a simple, uncompromising dramatization on how low humanity can sink into to survive. The tale is about escalating intense emotions and passionate interactions(?). The film is excellently structured, the film plays like a morality drama but never once loses its frightening aspect. The film is a tale of lust, jealousy and anger. The main focus of the film is the older woman (Nobuko Otawa) who sees Hachi as a deserter, lazy and may be the cause of her son's death; this man may also ruin the arrangement she has with her daughter-in-law. Her love soon becomes hatred as she realizes that Hachi may become the cause of her becoming alone and left to fend for herself. The irony is; the older woman also longs for the touch of a man and the very sight of them embracing ignites a fire of envy, desire and rage that may consume the entire household. There are subtle symbols and metaphors to be had with the film; the blades of grass blowing with a movement to mimic the ocean represents passion and the demonic mask may well be a metaphor to something else. It all depends on how you interpret it.
  
  Narratives aside, the film is a successful blend of its subject and camera work. There are moments that the camera stays still, that it feels almost voyeuristic that time had stopped is a haunting touch. The excellent cinematography gives life to the film's proceedings as well as to its characters. There is a haunting and ghostly, speechless gestures that add to the film's atmosphere. Shindo's direction is almost flawless in expressing the terror that is beginning to take hold of the trio's lives. Shadows are used effectively to convey the schemes and murderous plots that add to the film's moody and atmospheric feeling. If atmosphere is the main strength of a horror film, then this film would reign as king. The black and white approach actually added to the film's strength (I'm not sure if this was intentional), the bleakness and darkness in the lives of the protagonists are further expressed by the colorless proceedings.
  
  The film is also uninhibited with its portrayal of sexual relations. For a film made in 1964, there are quite a number of long, unglamorous nude scenes (for that time) by Otawa and Yohimura. Otawa (she became Shindo's wife) is a powerful presence with her gestures and facial mannerisms that exudes lust and rage. Yoshimura is a woman awakened by sexuality and lust, but before that she had that "shocked" characteristic that she exuded instinct. Kei sato seemed very bestial in his portrayal of Hachi and Tonoyama makes a convincing presence as the sleazy profiteer.
  
  "Onibaba" is a unique experience. While it may lack the raw intensity of modern Japanese horror films, and may not be as visually horrific as modern horror films; it is still refreshing to know that a relic from the past can still endure as one of the best Japanese horror films with its defining moments of the aspects of lust and hatred.
  
  Highly Recommended! [4 ½ stars]
  
  Criterion sports an impressive enhanced widescreen transfer with a clear mono track. Subtitles are excellent. The extras contain interviews, making of features, galleries and a booklet about the the parable that inspired the film.
  
  
  
  
  

• Kwaidan - Criterion Collection
• Ugetsu - Criterion Collection
• Sansho the Bailiff - Criterion Collection
• Ran - Criterion Collection
• Rashomon - Criterion Collection