SYNOPSIS: Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales in which terror thrives and demons lurk. Adapted from traditional Japanese ghost stories, this lavish, widescreen production drew extensively on Kobayashi’s own training as a student of painting and fine arts. Criterion is proud to present Kwaidan in a new ravishing color transfer.
| First wife | Michiyo Aratama |
| Second wife | Misako Watanabe |
| Samurai | Rentaro Mikuni |
| Minokichi | Tatsuya Nakadai |
| Woman of the snow | Keiko Kishi |
| Misaku | Jun Hamamura |
| Hoichi | Katsuo Nakamura |
| Samurai | Tetsuro Tanba |
| Priest | Takashi Shimura |
| Kannai | Kanemon Nakamura |
| Hienai | Noboru Nakaya |
| The writer | Osamu Takizawa |
| His wife | Haruko Sugimura |
| Director | Masaki Kobayashi |
| Producer | Shigeru Wakatsuki |
| Original story | Yakumo Koizumi |
| Screenplay | Yoko Mizuki |
| Cinematography | Yoshio Miyajima |
| Music | Toru Takemitsu |
| Art director | Shigemasa Toda |
| Sound | Hideo Nishizaki |
| Editing | Hisashi Sagara |
By October 09, 2000
One of the most meticulously crafted supernatural fantasy films ever made, Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan (1964) is also one of the most unusual. While such classic black and white chillers as The Uninvited, The Innocents Read more »
December 10, 2010
To coincide with Film Forum’s current retrospective dedicated to the legendary Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, Ben Simington has fashioned, for the Mubi Notebook, a special feature—complete Read more »
