See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

8 used & new from £7.50

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Kwaidan [VHS] [1965]
 
See larger image
 

Kwaidan [VHS] [1965]

VHS ~ Rentaro Mikuni
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £24.95 5 used from £7.50 2 collectible from £12.99

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Dark Water [2003] [DVD]

Dark Water [2003] [DVD]

DVD ~ Hitomi Kuroki
3.8 out of 5 stars (61)  £12.78
Ugetsu Monogatari [VHS] [1953]

Ugetsu Monogatari [VHS] [1953]

VHS ~ Masayuki Mori
Les Diaboliques [1954] [DVD]

Les Diaboliques [1954] [DVD]

DVD ~ Simone Signoret
4.8 out of 5 stars (10)  £19.59
Le Doulos [1963] [DVD]

Le Doulos [1963] [DVD]

DVD ~ Jean-Paul Belmondo
Tokyo Story [DVD] [1953] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Tokyo Story [DVD] [1953] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

DVD ~ Chishu Ryu
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Actors: Rentaro Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Ranko Akagi
  • Directors: Masaki Kobayashi
  • Writers: Lafcadio Hearn, Yôko Mizuki
  • Producers: Shigeru Wakatsuki
  • Format: PAL, Subtitled, Widescreen, Import
  • Language Japanese
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Palisades Tartan
  • VHS Release Date: 11 April 1994
  • Run Time: 154 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00004CJDC
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 12,998 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

    Popular in these categories:

    #9 in  Video > World Cinema > Japanese > Drama
    #27 in  Video > Classic Films > International > 1960s

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Lafcadio Hearn, the Greek-Irish-American author turned Japanese citizen, was one of the most singular writers of the 19th century, and from his collection of traditional Japanese ghost stories the director Masaki Kobayashi fashioned one of the most eerily beautiful films ever made. Kwaidan was Kobayashi's first film in colour; spurning realism and aiming for "the ultimate in stylised film method", he shot the whole movie inside a huge disused hangar, painting all the sets himself. The film comprises four stories: in "Black Hair" a man returns to seek the wife he abandoned; "The Woman of the Snows" is a chilly, beautiful spirit who preys on lone travellers; "Hoichi the Earless" tells of a young monk compelled each night by ghostly warriors to recount the saga of a famous sea battle (when he tries to evade them, they exact a horrible revenge); and the luckless protagonist of "In a Cup of Tea" discovers someone's soul grinning at him out of his beverage. Each story sustains its own distinct mood, but all four share an unsettling, dreamlike sense of otherworldliness. To enhance the overall weirdness, Kobayashi worked closely with the composer Toru Takemitsu to create an offbeat score, rejecting conventional instruments in favour of sonic effects such as wood being split and pebbles being struck together. There has never been another ghost film quite like this. --Philip Kemp

Synopsis
A lavish Japanese collection of four short ghost stories. Japanese dialogue with subtitles.

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Kwaidan - Masters of Cinema series [DVD] [1964]
65% buy
Kwaidan - Masters of Cinema series [DVD] [1964] 4.6 out of 5 stars (8)
£9.98
Kwaidan [VHS] [1965]
35% buy the item featured on this page:
Kwaidan [VHS] [1965] 4.0 out of 5 stars (2)

 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Work of Art, 16 May 2001
By Mr. Dylan T. Hayden - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars love and romance in the Japanese after-life, 12 Nov 2000
By A Customer
The film tells the story of four tales drawn from Lafcadio Hearn's turn-of the century book of the same name (Kwaidan means "weird tales" and is a collection of Japanese and Chinese "fairy" tales). The result is a magnificient vision of death and the strange, often cruel but devoid of what could be called Gothic morbidity. One is taken into the fantastic world of the Japanese mediaeval period, or rather how an American of Irish-Greek descent, fleeing late XIXth Century modernism, saw it. The film itself has respected Hearn's delicate and sensual approach to ghosts and ghouls - which probably wasn't difficult since Hearn became more Japanese than the Japanese themselves. It shows that in some ways, ghosts and evil spirits are also human. To illustrate that last statement, I will refer the reader / viewer to the wonderful tale of the blind bhuddist novice told to play his biwa to an extraordinary audience. The build up is wilfully slow, the intention being always to suck in the audience, to amaze it rather than shock it. The sound tract, like the visuals is haunting and when this film came out on the big screen in the late sixties it received huge interest from people who at that time, already, thought that the world (as it was) was not enough...
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
war film 2nd 0 45 minutes ago
Films that made you cry?? 23 3 hours ago
Books that make you think 20 12 hours ago
Science fiction and spirituality 83 12 hours ago
desert war film 2 22 hours ago
does traditional horror die with us? 21 23 hours ago
Green Haired boy 5 1 day ago
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

Shop The Body Shop

 

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

Shop clearance shoes

 

We've Got Converse

Converse
Stock up on your favourite styles with great deals on Converse shoes.

Shop Converse

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates