Kwaidan (1964)

Kwaidan is a masterful adaptation of 4 Japanese ghost stories. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi, these films are meticulously crafted on all levels. The set design is elaborate, hand-painted and detailed. The score by Toru Takemitsu is haunting, spare and in perfect accordance with the cinematography. The camera glides slowly, in deep focus, throughout each film. The narratives themselves are also spare, the space in between each action as important and powerful as the action itself. These elements combine to create an overwhelming feeling of artifice and fantasy which can be described as expressionistic. But though we are perfectly aware that we are watching a construction, we at the same time can deeply relate to the emotions and concerns of the human characters. The unreal and the real are thus beautifully connected in this film, as in other great Japanese films like Ugetsu (1953).

In the first story of Kwaidan, a man is taken over by greed and leaves his poor wife to make a better life for himself. He soon regrets this decision and exhibits great remorse. Realising his errors and remembering his love for his wife, he returns to her. But what he finds is not what he expected. The viewer can relate to this mistake of the protagonist and his feelings of regret and remorse.

The way in which space and silence is utilised in these films only heightens their ghostly impact, engendering a cold atmosphere of cosmic, supernatural emptiness. Such space and silence is present in the cinematography, score and story-telling. As a result of this lack of sensationalism, Kwaidan manages to be far more powerful and harrowing than most supernatural, ghost or horror films.

In the second film, we find a powerful female spirit. A pact is formed with a young man, but vows are broken. Another outstanding Japanese film featuring powerful female spirits is Kaneto Shindo's eerie masterpiece Kuroneko (1968). The prominent feature of female spirits in Japanese culture can be seen as an important comment on the position of women in Japanese society. We learn through these spirits that it is harmful and ill advised to betray people and break vows. On a more general note, morally ambiguous females exacting revenge are highly prevalent in Japanese cinema. Lady Snowblood (1973) is perhaps the quintessential example of this. Female representation in Japanese cinema and culture is highly rich and varied and deserved of more study.

In many ways, Kwaidan was an anomalous film. Kobayashi, the director, was mostly known for his social commentary films, such as The Human Condition (1959-61) and Harakiri (1962). But Kwaidan, a hyper-constructed collection of ghost stories, sticks out sharply in his ouevre. However, as noted earlier, we can still find in this film poignant explorations of common human experiences.

We don't get films like this anymore. Completed by an assured, genius director, Kwaidan has a rare artistic potency. Without the special effects we have nowadays, it manages to conjure far more atmosphere than most contemporary films.