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Kuroneko (1968) N
A woman and her daughter-in-law live in a small hut... Wait, wasn't that Onibaba? Yes, it was but Kuroneko is pretty much a variation of the same. This time the women are raped and killed and they return as bloodthirsty ghosts to prey on samurais.
I don't think there is enough content in Kuroneko for a full feature film. The concept is fine but it would work better as part of some anthology. Now there's too much repetition (like riding through the grove over and over again) and (in my opinion) unneeded theatrical antics like the older woman doing some dance moves.
Characters aren't as well defined as in Onibaba and I don't think the mother-son-wife relationship is utilized that good (wife part mostly works but mother doesn't). The introduction of the son is kind of odd and he seems to be completely different character after that.
There are beautiful scenes, nice soundtrack and interesting conflict of interests but as a whole it's just a notch below Onibaba. And those eyebrows are so disturbing (well, at least the women didn't have blackened teeth).
A woman and her daughter-in-law live in a small hut... Wait, wasn't that Onibaba? Yes, it was but Kuroneko is pretty much a variation of the same. This time the women are raped and killed and they return as bloodthirsty ghosts to prey on samurais.
I don't think there is enough content in Kuroneko for a full feature film. The concept is fine but it would work better as part of some anthology. Now there's too much repetition (like riding through the grove over and over again) and (in my opinion) unneeded theatrical antics like the older woman doing some dance moves.
Characters aren't as well defined as in Onibaba and I don't think the mother-son-wife relationship is utilized that good (wife part mostly works but mother doesn't). The introduction of the son is kind of odd and he seems to be completely different character after that.
There are beautiful scenes, nice soundtrack and interesting conflict of interests but as a whole it's just a notch below Onibaba. And those eyebrows are so disturbing (well, at least the women didn't have blackened teeth).