Kwaidan

– Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four fol..

Type:
TVSeries
Rating:
8.00 / 10
Duration:
3 Hours and 3 Minutes
Release Year:
1964
Original Name:
怪談
Kwaidan (1964) - Also known as 怪談

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Kwaidan (1964) - Trailer

Release Date:

22 Nov 1965

Language:

Japanese

MPAA Content-Rating:
Not Rated

Director:

Masaki Kobayashi

Writer:

Yôko Mizuki (screenplay), Lafcadio Hearn (novel)

Main Actors:

Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Rentarô Mikuni, Kenjirô Ishiyama

Plot:

This film contains four distinct, separate stories. "Black Hair": A poor samurai who divorces his true love to marry for money, but finds the marriage disastrous and returns to his old wife, only to discover something eerie about her. "The Woman in the Snow": Stranded in a snowstorm, a woodcutter meets an icy spirit in the form of a woman spares his life on the condition that he never tell anyone about her. A decade later he forgets his promise. "Hoichi the Earless": Hoichi is a blind musician, living in a monastery who sings so well that a ghostly imperial court commands him to perform the epic ballad of their death battle for them. But the ghosts are draining away his life, and the monks set out to protect him by writing a holy mantra over his body to make him invisible to the ghosts. But they've forgotten something. "In a Cup of Tea": a writer tells the story of a man who keep seeing a mysterious face reflected in his cup of tea.

Awards:

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination.

Production:

Criterion Collection

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes:
88%