Kuroneko, directed by Kaneto Shindo and based on a supernatural folktale, is a hauntingly beautiful Japanese period horror film that skillfully explores various themes like vengeance, loss of love, lust, and guilt.
Set in feudal Japan during the 12th century, Kuroneko opens with a wide-angle shot of a group of samurai emerging from the bushes and entering a house in a bamboo grove. As they go inside in search of food and water, they stumble across two women who reside there: Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law Shige (Kiwako Taichi). After helping themselves to whatever food is available, their attention shifts to these women. Director Shindo cuts to close-ups of these men to show lust dripping from their mouths, as well as close-ups of the women to demonstrate their terror. These Samurais spare no time before jumping on the women and raping them mercilessly, one by one. Shortly after these men leave the place, the camera returns to its initial wide-angle shot, and flames start coming from the house, followed by the fire. As Yone and Shige lie dead inside while their bodies catch fire, a black cat approaches and begins to lick their wounds. The scene (which contains no dialogue) perfectly sets the tone for the film, and if this doesn’t send shivers down your spine, I don’t know what will.
As time passes, these two women reappear as vengeful ghosts who await Samurais at Rajomon Gate, draw them into their homes, get them intoxicated, seduce them, and then murder them like cats by tearing their throats with their teeth. Kaneto Shindo details the entire process of luring and killing the Samurais, and the method is nearly always successful for every man, as their lust knows no bounds and they all eventually succumb to it. Meanwhile, in northern Japan, a young soldier who calls himself Gintoki (Kichiemon Nakamura) kills a powerful enemy general, severs his head, and returns home, where he is called upon by Governor Raiko (Kei Sato), who promotes him to Samurai. His first mission is to hunt down and slay the ghosts who are cruelly murdering the samurais. In his quest to track down and destroy the women, Gintoki learns some shocking truths and realizes that he must confront his own demons as well.
Kaneto Shindo’s screenplay stands out for its seamless integration of different themes. The first act is pure horror, which explores the theme of vengeance as the ghosts kill individual samurais. In the second half, the themes of love and lust take the stage, turning the film into an erotic romantic love story. The last act becomes more complex when these ghosts face emotional conflicts, paving the way for themes of guilt and the consequences of blind revenge. The film’s stark black-and-white visuals add to the eeriness and make the setting look more atmospheric and moody. In every scene, the frame is predominantly black, except for the characters themselves and the very minimal amount of white that appears in the background. The theatrical flourishes incorporated by cinematographer Kiyomi Kuruda, such as the sudden spotlight on the characters, complement the Noh-inspired blocking of the scenes to heighten the emotional impact. Akira Kurusawa’s Throne of Blood (1954) is another notable example of the use of Noh theatre in Japanese cinema.
Kaneto Shindo gained international recognition for his underrated historical horror masterpiece Onibaba (1964), which had a similar setting of a small village in war-torn medieval Japan and explored themes of lust and jealousy. Although Onibaba is more haunting and chilling, Kuroneko stands on its own strengths, and the two films make a perfect double bill.
Kuroneko is available on The Criterion Collection
Kuroneko movie links: IMDB, Letterboxd
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