CRITERION COLL: KWAIDAN

There are not enough superlatives to describe how lucky we are having Criterion. Who else would come to think to release a two hour version of this originally three hour film. Nobody in these busy days has the strength to watch a movie that long. Besides these Japanese films have often so slow pace, they are too unconventional to us living in more civilized and sophisticated western culture. Remember also the accuracy of details Criterion is so superior. For instance as you can see this film is made in 1965 , not 1964 although many other sources in their unreliability claim so. So we devoted movielovers are happy to have Criterion to put our trust on and that's why we are gladly ready to pay a double price for these products tailored to fit our predilections. I warmly recommend Criterion and hope that they keep this good thing going by making shorter versions of movies from countries of strange cultures and having too little action. I want to express my deepest admiration and gratitude and I take my hat off and humbly bow my head in front of the supreme wisdom of Criterion. Your always loyal discible.

This is quite simply one of the most exquisite films ever made, a marvel of aesthetic refinement in every way, and a unique work of art. There are not enough superlatives to describe the manifold wonders of Kwaidan: the fine acting, gorgeous sets, subtle direction, and especially the extraordinary musique concrete score by Takemitsu, all combined by the obsessive artistry of Kobayashi to realize a rare and beautiful cinematic vision. This film is beyond praise.

『怪談』(英題：Kwaidan)('65) 出演∶ 〈黒髪〉 三國連太郎、新珠三千代、渡辺美佐子、石山健二郎、赤木蘭子、北原文枝、松本克平、家田佳子、月宮於登女、田中謙三、中野清 〈雪女〉 仲代達矢、岸惠子、望月優子、菅井きん、千石規子、野村昭子、浜田寅彦、浜村純 〈耳無し芳一の話〉 中村賀津雄、丹波哲郎、志村喬、林与一、村松英子、田中邦衛、北村和夫、中谷一郎、友竹正則、花沢徳衛、夏川静枝、龍岡晋、北城真記子、桑山正一、鶴丸睦彦、谷晃、近藤洋介、山本清、小美野欣二、中村敦夫、関口銀三、宮部昭夫、永井玄哉、内田透、神野光、福原駿、阿部希郎、八木俊郎、阿部百合子、佐藤ユリ、佐藤京一、相川延夫、児玉泰次、前田信明、柴田光彦、梶春雄、義那道夫、田部誠二、成田光子、三倉紀子、長山藍子、中畑道子 〈茶碗の中〉 中村翫右衛門、滝沢修、杉村春子、中村鴈治郎、仲谷昇、宮口精二、佐藤慶、奈良岡朋子、神山繁、田崎潤、織本順吉、小林昭二、青木義朗、天本英世、玉川伊佐男 監督∶小林正樹 小泉八雲(ラフカディオ・ハーン)の怪談集は､小学校に上がったばかりの頃の愛読書だった。外人なのに日本古来の民話として伝わるコワイ話を集めて怪談集を書くなんてスゴイな…とか思いつつ大いに楽しませてもらいました。大学生時代に昔の名作映画の特集上映が大劇場であり､その中の１本が小泉八雲原作『怪談』だった。戦国時代・江戸時代・幕末維新が舞台の時代劇が圧倒的に多い中､それより古い時代も含む民話が新鮮だった｡ '50〜'60年代には『地獄門』『羅生門』『日蓮と蒙古大襲来』など平安時代や鎌倉時代などが舞台の映画も作られていて､他の時代劇とはちょっと違うその独特の文化や衣装などのエキゾティシズムが､海外でも注目されていたようだ。この『怪談』もまた､その１本に入るのではないか。スタジオに組まれた大掛かりで緻密でユニークな色彩感覚にも満ちたセットの中で繰り広げられる民話の世界観に思わず引き込まれるような４編の物語。計３時間だが長くはない｡ [物語] 〈黒髪〉 京都。貧しい武士(三國)は､立身出世の最後のチャンスに賭け､遠い任地に下る上役について行くために､すがりつく妻(新珠)を棄てて旅立つ。貧しい暮らしを機織りの内職でコツコツと支えてきた献身的な妻だったのだが……。身分のある家の娘との再婚で出世した彼だが､ワガママで性格の悪い妻に手を焼く日々。任期を終えて京に戻った彼が､元の家を訪ねると元妻は昔のまま彼を待っていてくれた。喜びの一夜を過ごす彼だが､翌朝､身の毛もよだつ運命が待っていた……｡ 〈雪女〉 武蔵国の巳之吉(仲代)は木こりの茂作(浜村)と森へ薪を取りに行き吹雪に遭う。山小屋で一泊するが､白い着物姿の妖しい女(岸)が現れ茂作に白い息を吹きかけて凍死させる。女は巳之吉の命は見逃す替わりに「今見たことは誰にも話すな､話せばお前も殺す」と言い残して消える。１年後､巳之吉はお雪(岸)という美しい娘と出逢い結婚。３人の子に恵まれ､幸福な日々を過ごす。そんなある夜､雪の顔にあの雪女の面影を思い出した彼が問わず語りに雪にその話をしてしまう……｡ 〈耳無し芳一の話〉 壇ノ浦で平家が滅亡した数百年後。近隣の寺で暮らす盲目の琵琶法師の芳一(中村賀津雄)は､壇ノ浦の合戦の弾き語りが得意だった。ある夜１人で留守番をしていると､甲冑姿の武者(丹波)が現れ「高貴な人に琵琶を聴かせるために迎えに来た」と言い､芳一を連れ出す。以来､夜な夜な何処かへ出かけては衰弱して帰宅する彼を心配した住職(志村)が､寺男の矢作(田中)と松造(花沢)に後をつけさせると､そこには人魂飛び交う平家の墓の前で琵琶の弾き語りをする芳一の姿が……｡ 〈茶碗の中〉 ある家の家臣の関内(中村翫右衛門)が茶店で水を飲もうとすると､茶碗の水に見知らぬ男(仲谷)の顔が映っている。彼は構わず男の顔が映った水を飲み干す。その夜､彼が夜勤していると､突如式部平内と名乗る茶碗の中の男が現れる。妖かしのようなその男に斬りつけるが､男は忽然と姿を消す。自宅に帰ると､今度は式部平内の家臣だという３人の男(佐藤､玉川､天本)の訪問を受ける｡「主人があなたに斬られて療養中」だと言う３人。関内は思わずその３人に斬りかかるが……｡ 数十年前の学生時代以来なので細部はかなり忘れていたが､色彩感覚の美しさは奇妙に印象に残っていて､今回もまたその美しい映像を堪能させてもらいました。それより､いにしえより日本に伝わるこれらの物語を集めて今に伝わるカタチに書いたのが英国人のラフカディオ・ハーン(小泉八雲)なのだという事実は海外の映画ファンにも伝わっているのだろうか？ 小泉八雲夫妻が主人公の朝ドラ『ばけばけ』を見つつ､ふと気になりました｡ [余談] 学生時代には気づかなかったが脇役やチョイ役に､のちに有名になる人がけっこう出ていて驚いた。田中邦衛は昔見たときから「あっ(若大将シリーズの)青大将だ」と気づいていたが､いま改めて見ると､TBS『水戸黄門』の風車の弥七=中谷一郎や『木枯し紋次郎』の紋次郎=中村敦夫､さらには『仮面ライダー』の死神博士=天本英世までが脇で顔見せしていて楽しい(天本氏は『二十四の瞳』の時もっと驚いたが…)。古い日本映画には､こういう楽しみ方があるからヤメられない(笑)

Creí que tendría más extras, además solo viene un triptico genérico, costó mucho para lo que vale, para rematar no lo lee todos los blurays, pero el servicio de Amazon excelente

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Kwaidan (1964) Japanese folk/ghost tales /fairy-tales with supernatural and theatrical like cinematography. That is right this film is very artsy and the settings, camera work, light is very nostalgic and Gone With the Wind-like. Actually, the cinematography of story # 2 is the equivalent of Scarlet O'Hara's Tara plantation set. The film is 183 minutes long. It is composed of four stories, approximately each one 40-45 minutes long. The budget of the film was estimated at the time for 350,000,000 Japanese Yen. Tremendous amount of money. I would not classify this entirely into a horror. Only the first two stories have something to do with horror. The last two stories are weakest and make this film lose its interest after the first two. Be there as it may, I still gave this film 5 stars. It is a feast for eyes...cinematographicly dazzling ! *Favorite stories out the four: 1) "The Black Hair" [husband leaves wife for a wealthier woman...the new marriage is unhappy...years go by...husband leaves the second wife and heads back to the previous wife...upon his return... 2) "The Woman of the Snow" [young lumberjack together with his master gets trapped in a snow storm in the middle of a forest...the two find a hut to wait-out the blizzard...a young woman dressed in white appears and kills the master...she lets the young man live, but asks him to keep a secret about what has occurred or else he too will be killed, to-which he agrees...the young man gets back to his home where quickly recovers from sickness and soon meets a young and pretty lady he marries...the couple have children...years go by... Worth mentioning is also the music...it is creepy at times and very oriental. If you like the literature by Edgar Allan Poe, The Grim Brothers, and Christian Andersen this film should blow you away. The film very much reminded of such cult films as: Gone With the Wind (1939), The Saragossa Manuscript (1965) and Ran (1985).

Ah, che meraviglia Kwaidan Un viaggio nel puro fantasy, così fiammeggiante, così pittorico, così visivamente avvolgente (che gioia per gli occhi quei fondali dipinti con gli occhi che si stampano nel cielo disegnato e fissano i protagonisti ne La donna della neve, che bellezza la natura morta e la casa diroccata nella foresta nei pressi di Kyoto ne I capelli neri, che sbalorditiva e visionaria che e la battaglia navale ne Hoichi senza orecchie, con il mare che si fà rosso sangue, che mi ha ricordato certo cinema di Kurosawa, che rigore formale e che inquietudine che ha Una tazza di tè, con quel finale terrifico-il vaso-quasi metacinematografico e così avanti con i tempi) In certi passaggi pare girato ieri e non ha perso smalto in tutti questi 50 anni, che sembrava così fuori dal tempo e dallo spazio, senza un epoca precisa, ancora emozionante e avvolgente, stilisticamente dalle parti del capolavoro. Le ragazzine maledette lungocrinite vengono tutte da I capelli neri, spudoratamente e scelleratamente Michael McDowell copierà da La donna della neve il segmento del gargoyle nell'omnibus I Delitti del Gatto Nero (che fù il mio episodio preferito di quel film), facendone un vile (non credo citi la fonte di Kwaidan) remake, anche se con finale più crudele di quello di Kobayashi, Peter Greenaway studierà a memoria Hoichi senza orecchie, mentre Una tazza di tè segnerà quasi tutto l'horror a venire sul tema "finzione/realtà" e certi temi cari a Stephen King Forse agli occhi dello spettatore di oggi può sembrare un pò ingenuo e datato, ma Kwaidan e pura gioia per lo spirito, gli occhi e l'encefalo. Una dimensione fiabesca e fantastica ormai perduta nel tempo Come sempre di grande qualità il dvd edito dalla Raro: Audio originale giapponese in formato dual mono 2.0 con sottotitoli in italiano, video 2.35:1 (16:9) e due extra: - Trailer originale - Presentazione/intervista a Daniela Raddi, studiosa di Cinema Giapponese. Durata effettiva: 2h,55m e 42s