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Kwaidan - Criterion Collection Actors: Rentaro Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama Director: Masaki Kobayashi Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 164 minutes Studio: Criterion Collection Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2000-10-10 Buy from Amazon |
 "Artists, You Will Be Knocked Out By This Film!"Be still my heart! This is finally out on DVD! I've only seen it on video and even there it was a masterpiece of visual art. Not that it doesn't work as ghost stories. It does. However, this is not the "scare you out of your mind" type ghost story. Instead, these are the most artistically rendered ghost stories that you could possibly imagine. The cinematographer and director work with a harmony rarely seen in film so they can deliver a surreal tour de force to your home entertainment center. Although this was made in the 1960s, it holds up to any time period and will not strike you as the least bit dated. We cannot say that of many films made in the '60s, alas. Even if you are not an artist, it is hard for me to imagine anyone not being taken by this film, which I consider flawless in every regard. "Japonaiserie"Strange, haunting and memorable. A work of the imagination that you will never forget. Based on tales by Lafcadio Hearne,the separate stories are visually compelling and dramatically striking. People who enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will find some of the same magic here. "Slow moving but beautiful and horrifying"This movie isn't for all tastes obviously. It is extremely slow paced and some people can't handle that. But if you can allow yourself to fall into the eerie visuals and sound, the pacing winds up making the film that much more haunting when it finally does become scary. The stories are very simple but dark parables. One of the keys to the film's quality, in addition to the beautiful visuals, is the music/sound by Toru Takemitsu. He often incorporates sounds into the music, for example, breaking wood or a creaking spindle, to a fabulously creepy affect. At other times he replaces sounds with a musical representation of the sound like the "sounds" of the storm in the "Hoichi the Earless" segment. Takemitsu was such an assett to every film maker he worked with. Kobayashi is a terrific film maker... "Harakiri" and "Samurai Rebellion" are also must sees. "Kwaidan" is very different from those films, but then again, it's also very different from every other film ever made. It's a totally unique work of pure art.  "Ok"This movie was far from what I've expected. First and last stories are barely interesting at all. It was a very theatrical experience, with overdone performances and stage-like lighting. Most interesting piece to me was the story of the earless.  "A Visual Treat.."A subtle and haunting quartet of ghost stories presented with some of the most amazing visuals I have seen in a movie. Uses unusual techniques to enhance the atmosphere of un-ease ('selectively' post-dubbed sound, vast and detailed studio sets etc..) The directors art training shines through in the flawless shot compositions. Criterion have provided us with a near perfect print to enjoy this movie, colours are stunning with only some minor print damage to detract (occasional vertical scratches.) Recommended - A good disc of an outstanding film. |
