Onibaba (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

I got this on a whim. It sounded interesting, and I was blown away by how good it is. The performances are good, the setting accessible (even though as an American, 14th century history anywhere isn't really part of our education unless we search it out). The relationships between the three main characters are complex and captivating, and there are a ton of extras on the disc and in the booklet that are well worth exploring.

Onibaba – Demon Woman focuses upon a pair of women that live in a swamp in feudal Japan. They strip the bodies of samurai who are killed in battle dumping their bodies into The Hole. That pit is given a prominent role right from the beginning as it is the opening of the film. The weapons and armor the women sell off for food. They have plenty of samurai to pick from as the country was going to hell with war. In times like those the meek like the women can pick upon the powerful. It’s also a lonely life of solitude in the swamp so when a man they know returns from war that causes dissension between the two women. To add to the drama a demon appears as well.The movie’s theme comes down to one of survival. Can the two women maintain their lives in the swamp living off killing samurai, and will the man split them apart? There’s also the demon which is there to punish the two for their transgressions.There is some amazing imagery as well revolving around a mask the women find. Overall, very nicely made movie. Kind of a hybrid drama-ghost story.C

If you're thinking about upgrading from DVD or VHS to a new edition - I highly recommend it. Criterion just can't be beat.

This Japanese, War-Torn, Forbidden Horror, is Outstanding!The Texture in this movie is Crisp.The Raw Human Emotions run Wild.In a isolated Terrain, the Fear of Demons, fill a young Girls Nightmares. When Shelter, Water and Food are a Constant Battle.The Ending I thought at First was Vague, but after minutes after Watching it, the End Could Not have Been More Terrifying.Enjoy this Simple, But Rich, Step back into Time, to a Truly, Realistic Horrific Nightmare in the middle of Nowhere!

For plot details please see the other reviews. Captivating, sensual, interesting. Many people have said this is a "horror" film, but I disagree entirely. The main aspect which might be construed as horror is the use of a mask which has unintended negative effects for the wearer. But we know it's a mask at the onset because the character says so. No, this is not a horror film, it is a story of survival and uncontainable, raw human instincts---the two women characters have to do what is necessary to survive dreadful conditions. Yet even when living at bare subsistence level, lust comes to the forefront soon enough, and it must be satisfied. The cinematography is superb, with incredible scenes dominated by shadows and barely lit faces. This type of subject and plot could not have been as effective in color. The acting by the three main characters, Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, and Kel Sato was superb and flawless---it was a feast just looking at their faces and the many nuances of expression. Incredible B&W film worth 5 stars, with a caveat as indicated in the title of this review.

This dark tale is classicly Japanese in story and presentation.It occurs during a significant time of civil war and conflict.In this time an older and younger woman live in the tall reeds surrounding a lake. The reeds are continually prominent in the story line as they dominate the area. These two women have learned to survive in these times by killing small individual or pairs of soldiers in order to sell their armor and weapons for food. They dump their bodies into a deep pit in the middle of the field of reeds.The story further develops as a returning male acquaintance of the older woman's son who is also the husband of the younger woman shows up. He explains that the son is dead. Nearly immediately he wants to convince the younger woman to "have some fun" with him which does eventually occur. This occurs much to the chagrin of the older woman on two levels. First and foremost she is concerned that the daughter-in-law will leave and the mother will be unable to continue her evil survival occupation alone and so not survive. Second, she wants to have some fun as well offering herself as an alternative which the male imprudently does not want.The story develops along the lines where demon fears and other Japanese cultural issues rise.A good addition to your Japanese films collection or even just a well developed Japanese human cultural analysis of human foibles under survival conditions.Avoid if you are offended by sexual references and some nudity though no obvious in-your-face examples of both occur.The ending is also very Japanese in its context and may leave you puzzled. However the character and story development will keep you watching.

Perfect for Criterion collectors, and a great film. I just wish Criterion would re-release it as a Blu-ray. The Criterion edition of Onibaba is DVD only.

I have watched a lot of Japanese movies this year. Most of them are either Samurai films or based upon those ancient times. These films have led me off course to some truly unique movies, one of the most memorable is Onibaba. An experience that I'm pretty sure I'll never ever forget.Onibaba is a film directed by Kaneto Shindo. Released through the Toho brand and produced by the Tokyo Eiga and Kindai Eiga Kyokai companies in 1964, this film has more than enough to put people on edge. The film stars two women Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura with Kei Sato playing the man who comes between them. The story is about the two women previously mentioned. They are at the point of starving in their run down hut. The only means of acquiring food is to kill fleeing Samurai in their local tall grass and sell his equipment to some shoddy dealer. Kei Sato's character has been off fighting with the older woman's son and the younger's husband. He quickly becomes obsessively infatuated with the young lady and they soon become inseparable. The old woman doesn't like the idea and does everything in her power to keep them apart.The story is very dramatic, to say the least. The couple in love are very convincing in their lusting for each other and the hatred coming from the "Old Woman" is superbly done. The movie is fairly simple taking place in a large grass field with two huts at either side. The way the director managed to make such an intense movie over such a small space is impressive. The tension that starts to creep into the film becomes down right horrific by the end and I love it for it's simplicity. This is one of those movies that leaves information out and lets you patch it up with your own imagination. I felt a bit surprised by the sudden end, but it certainly kept me thinking when it was well and truly done. Some people might not like that but I thought it was great, if not a bit surprising.Onibaba is also quite a visual masterpiece, in my opinion. This Eureka! print has very little damage to it and looks pretty sharp through out. This impressive image quality really helps bring out the artistry in the visuals. Despite the fact the majority of the film takes place in a large grassy field, the images they managed to put on film are absolutely stunning. The way the wind catches all the tall vegetation as it moves in the wind never got old. Add some rain, a little blood and the occasional river scene and you have a fairly impressive looking movie.This film might not be what some people expect. It seems to be considered more of a horror movie to some rather than a drama. But I would most definitely consider it more of the latter. The end does have a good bit of horror in it but those looking for an entire film like that will be disappointed. Me, I rather enjoyed this movie. I thought it was very memorable in a lot of ways and I would definitely recommend it if you're into this sort of thing. It's a very fine print of the film, one that should do me for a long time.

Onibaba, what can I say?I love some of this Japanese stuff, but I must say my true love is horror so I swing towards the likes of The Ring, The Grudge, Lust Of The Dead, Entrails Of A Virgin etc. I saw this on Amazon and was intrigued by the cover for a start, so I started reading the reviews which truly swung me to take a gamble and boy what a great choice.A beautifully shot film with a terrific cast. I'm not going to spoil this as others have already mentioned this but there are no supernatural elements involved. I won't elaborate on the story apart from saying this was based on a Japanese folk tale.I can't say much more apart from just watch it. Even though it wasn't a horror film it was a brilliant viewing experience.On another note I was surprised just how much nudity there was in a film from 1964

As a package I would give this product 5 stars as you have both DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film as well as a nice little booklet with information about the origins of the story, the actors and the film restoration process. The film itself has been lovingly restored and looks and sounds about as good as it is ever going to. As far as the special feature go: there are the usual selection of interviews and so on, but there is also a selection of 8mm films taken by the lead actor on set, which offers a good insight to the film making process of the time. Overall a great piece of cinema history.

Amid the bulrushes two women living of killing, when one day one of their acquaintance come back form war Minimalistic and intense the film is typical of Japanese Art.. The scenery and the music creates a strong environment where each details seem to take a specific intensity. The scripts tells the story of possession, control and sexuality. As in many Japanese film the sex bound is depicted as a compelling instinct of life. Behind the simplicity of the scripts and the beauty of the pictures hides deep thoughts and thinking. A Japanese masterpiece I would say

two items arrived with both cases smashed, this disc had several fingerprints on the disc surface which unable to clean properly.