Yabu no Naka no Kuroneko, internationally known as The Black Cat, is a Japanese movie from the late sixties shot in black and white that combines historical drama and folkloristic horror elements.
This film tells the story of a mother and her daughter-in-law who get brutally raped and murdered by a group of sixteen samurai while their son and husband is absent for military duty. As their hut burns down, their black cat licks their dead bodies and the ladies decide to make a pact with the devil in order to bring vengeance upon the samurai who are often considered national heroes. Several years later, the ladies appear at a gate at night and lure lonely samurai into the woods to murder them. The governor decides to send his best samurai to investigate the serial killings. Ironically, the son and husband of the deceased is chosen for this task. A dramatic turn of events thus unfolds.
This movie convinces on numerous levels. First, the combination of historical drama and folkloristic horror elements is balanced, diversified and exciting throughout. The story is emotional, intriguing and traditional. The fact that the movie was shot in black and white adds much atmosphere to the creepy movie that will sends shivers down your spine. Visual special effects are used in small doses but work particularly efficiently up to this day. The acting performances are very decent and so are the fascinating characters. The movie is also quite unique since it shows samurai as brutal, egoistical and selfish which is actually a trademark for director Shindo Kaneto. The bonus material on the Criterion release of this film provides educating, interesting and surprising additional information about the feature film.
This film however also has a few minor downsides. Its pace is rather slow and makes the movie difficult to get into. Several scenes are repetitive as we observe the ghostly women lure quite a few men into their deadly trap. The film's resolution is certainly a bold choice but also a quite controversial one. Personally, I haven't appreciated how this movie ends as it left me unsatisfied and scratching my head.
Still, Yabu no Naka no Kuroneko is a historical drama and folkloristic horror movie that deserves attention, recognition and respect. The visual effects, the story and the characters are particularly interesting. If you don't mind a slow pace, some repetition and a daring conclusion, then you certainly should give this movie a try.
This film tells the story of a mother and her daughter-in-law who get brutally raped and murdered by a group of sixteen samurai while their son and husband is absent for military duty. As their hut burns down, their black cat licks their dead bodies and the ladies decide to make a pact with the devil in order to bring vengeance upon the samurai who are often considered national heroes. Several years later, the ladies appear at a gate at night and lure lonely samurai into the woods to murder them. The governor decides to send his best samurai to investigate the serial killings. Ironically, the son and husband of the deceased is chosen for this task. A dramatic turn of events thus unfolds.
This movie convinces on numerous levels. First, the combination of historical drama and folkloristic horror elements is balanced, diversified and exciting throughout. The story is emotional, intriguing and traditional. The fact that the movie was shot in black and white adds much atmosphere to the creepy movie that will sends shivers down your spine. Visual special effects are used in small doses but work particularly efficiently up to this day. The acting performances are very decent and so are the fascinating characters. The movie is also quite unique since it shows samurai as brutal, egoistical and selfish which is actually a trademark for director Shindo Kaneto. The bonus material on the Criterion release of this film provides educating, interesting and surprising additional information about the feature film.
This film however also has a few minor downsides. Its pace is rather slow and makes the movie difficult to get into. Several scenes are repetitive as we observe the ghostly women lure quite a few men into their deadly trap. The film's resolution is certainly a bold choice but also a quite controversial one. Personally, I haven't appreciated how this movie ends as it left me unsatisfied and scratching my head.
Still, Yabu no Naka no Kuroneko is a historical drama and folkloristic horror movie that deserves attention, recognition and respect. The visual effects, the story and the characters are particularly interesting. If you don't mind a slow pace, some repetition and a daring conclusion, then you certainly should give this movie a try.