{Yabu no naka no kuroneko}
 The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] --- Subtitled --- The English title means "Black Cat". -- The Japanese title means "Black cat in a [bamboo] grove". In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. From Kaneto Shindo, director of the terror classic Onibaba (Demon Hag), Kuroneko (Black Cat) is a spectacularly eerie twilight tale with a shocking feminist angle, evoked through ghostly special effects and exquisite cinematography. Storyline: A woman and her daughter-in-law are raped and murdered by samurais during the time of civil war. Afterwards, a series of samurai returning from the war through that area are found mysteriously dead with their throats torn out. The governor calls in a wild and fierce young hero, to quell what is evidently a ghost. He encounters the two beautiful women, in an eerie, beautiful scene. After spiritual purification, he meets the demon in a thrilling fight. Written by xenophil Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, October 30, 2011 -- Winner of Best Actress and Best Cinematography Awards at the Mainichi Film Concours, Japanese director Kaneto Shindo's "Yabu no naka no kuroneko" a.k.a "Kuroneko" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video interview with director Kaneto Shindo; and an exclusive video interview with Japanese cinema critic Tadao Sato. The disc also arrives with a 30-page illustrated booklet featuring Maitland McDonagh's essay "The Mark of the Cat" and an excerpt from a 1972 interview that film scholar Joan Mellen conducted with director Kaneto Shindo. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked" Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko reminded me a lot about Yasuzo Masumura's Red Angel. Thematically, the two films have practically nothing in common but both are very atmospheric and, as strange as it may sound, despite being quite violent they are also remarkably erotic. In Red Angel a young nurse played by the stunningly beautiful Ayako Wakao is sent to a field hospital during the Sino-Japanese war. There she assists an older and impotent doctor who is addicted to morphine. As time goes by, the two become close and eventually fall in love while people around them are dying like flies. The film is graphic and at times seriously disturbing but also incredibly beautiful and seductive. Kuroneko is set during the Sengoku Jidai (the Warring States) period and tells the story of two women, a mother (Nobuko Otowa, The Naked Island, Onibaba) and her daughter-in-law (Kiwako Taichi, Strange Affinity, Live Today, Die Tomorrow!), who are raped by a gang of samurai. The women and their farmhouse are burned down, but their souls return as evil ghosts and swear to kill every single samurai in the land. (Don't worry, I did not spoil the film for you). After the ghosts begin hunting the samurai, a young warrior named Gintoku (Kichiemon Nakamura, Double Suicide, Gateway to Glory) is summoned by his master (Kei Sato, Harakiri, The Sword of Doom) and ordered to confront them. Eager to impress and earn himself a good reputation, Gintoku immediately heads to the Rajomon Gate, where he encounters one of the ghosts. Much to his surprise, the ghost turns out to be a beautiful woman who looks very much like his former wife. Kuroneko (which translated into English means black cat) is a film of two halves. The first is gritty and unsettling, uncompromising and ugly, firmly grounded in reality. The samurai and the two women they rape belong to a world where everything makes sense – the strong prevail and the weak suffer. The second half is drastically different. Certain sequences are still gritty, unsettling and violent, but now they drip with surreal atmosphere that changes the entire complexion of the story. For instance, when Gintoku and the ghost meet one could immediately tell that they are attracted to each other, though one does not know whether it is sexual attraction or something else that they feel. Considering the various gruesome killings that one has witnessed prior to their encounter, the sudden erotic overtones move the film into an entirely different territory. These strange erotic overtones are what reminded me about Red Angel. They counter the ugly and horrific in a familiar fashion and shift the focus of attention elsewhere. Kuroneko and Red Angel are both horror films but also remarkably sensual and darkly seductive films. Shindo, who is probably best known for his terrific The Naked Island and Onibaba, is a skillful director who understands and knows exactly how to create and maintain a tense and moody atmosphere. Assisted by cinematographer Kiyomi Kuroda, who also lensed the two films mentioned above, he infuses Kuroneko with a distinctive neo-gothic flavor which gradually takes over the film after the two ghosts begin hunting the samurai. The sequences from the bamboo forest for example look and feel like bizarre dreams - they are dark and slow, disturbing but beautiful, unreal yet believable. Note: In 1969, Kuroneko won Best Actress (Nobuko Otowa) and Best Cinematography (Kiyomi Kuroda) Awards at the Mainichi Film Concours. Kaneto Shindo's Kuroneko is an enormously atmospheric, deeply poetic and surprisingly seductive horror film. While not as refined and well polished as the Japanese director's acclaimed Onibaba, Kuroneko is nevertheless a genially entertaining film that should appeal to a wide variety of viewers. As expected, the folks at Criterion have made sure that the film looks as good as it can on Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. [CSW] -3.6- Amazing movie, stark, and a bit strange but somehow perfectly Japanese. There seemed to be an unusual mother daughter dynamic since the mother was supposed to be the mother of the husband and not the mother of the wife. I found it easier to think of it as mother, daughter, and son-in-law than mother, daughter-in-law, and son. But think of it in whatever way works for you. I can't say that even as a ghost story all the parts fit together neatly but they weren't so far off as to not fit and it kept your attention fixed trying to figure how the pieces do fit. Kuroneko is surprisingly erotic for its time. There is no gratuitous nudity. The man and wife are shown rekindling their love in good taste, though these scenes do carry an adult tone. Be forewarned that as in any Japanese horror story once you become the target there is no escape. Only the Americans allow the good guy to escape. This movie will draw you in with the near perfect cinematography and lighting which in B&W can make an almost indelible imprint. This Blu-ray is another great near perfect Criterion restoration. This movie is not for everyone but you probably already have an idea if this is the type of movie you would enjoy. I suggest you rent it first if you can get the Criterion Blu-ray version. [V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box. Cast Notes: Kichiemon Nakamura (Gintoki), Nobuko Otowa (Yone [Mother]), Kiwako Taichi (Shige [Daughter-in-Law]), Kei Satô (Raiko), Taiji Tonoyama (A Farmer), Rokko Toura (A Samurai), Hideo Kanze (Mikado), Eimei Esumi, Masashi Oki, Rika Mizuki. IMDb Rating (02/11/17): 7.8/10 from 3,991 users
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