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Product Description Kaneto Shindô writes and directs this Japanese horror. Set in the ancient Heian era, Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and her 20-year-old daughter-in-law Shige (Kiwako Taichi) are scratching a meagre living in the forest when a band of marauding, depraved samurai rape and slay the two women, leaving their hut in ashes, and the blood-covered bodies splayed nearby. A passing black cat revives the spirits of the fallen women and transforms them into shape-shifting ghosts who proceed to wreak revenge on the samurai class by luring them into the surrounding bamboo groves. But one day the warrior Gintoki (Kichiemon Nakamura) returns home to find his wife and mother gone and is assigned to rid the country of the murderous ghosts. .co.uk Review Shindo's stylish black-and-white ghost story forms a companion piece to his earlier film Onibaba. Once again we have a woman and her daughter-in-law preying on a lone samurai. But the mood here is a little gentler and more poignant than we are accustomed to. The two women are victims of a brutal gang of samurai: they are raped and killed and fire is set to their hut. But when their cat licks the blood from their corpses, they are transformed into shape-shifting demons that favour the form of black cats. Waylaying benighted warriors, they wreak their revenge. A champion samurai is sent against them, but he finds the monsters he's hired to destroy are his own wife and mother. Shindo skilfully builds an atmosphere of eerie menace--draperies waving in the wind, Hikaru Hiyashi's score mimicking the desolate caterwauls that precede each killing. Shindo, faithful as ever to his left-wing principles, includes a strong measure of barbed social comment in his portrayal of the arrogant samurai class. --Philip Kemp
A**N
Intriguing Japanese Ghost Story
In many ways Kuroneko is a very similar effort to Shindo's Onibaba, a more famous film. Kuroneko leans more directly towards the otherworldly though, and it benefits it to a great degree. The story is very much straight-forward, but what really makes this a strong film and well worth checking out is the haunting atmosphere and cinematography which really makes this a unique film. The special effects, although dated, adds a certain uncanny feeling to the film which, had modern techniques been used, wouldn't have been there.Two women farmers are murdered and raped by some rogue samurai, but they return in spirit to haunt the local area. The husband and son of those two women returns a hero from the war, and is given the task of destroying whatever has been murdering samurai lately.Much of the sensuality and dangerous passion returns here, just like in Onibaba, but in this it is even more direct and has an even greater danger. Regardless, if you enjoy the work of Shindo, Onibaba in particular, then this is an essential film to own.
B**Y
Very haunting
A lovely transfer of this classic film, Fantastic performances from the cast. Its a slow burning film, which I love and the dreamlike quality makes it so haunting. It was for me very satisfying to see these Women taking revenge on "war mongering Samurai" A tragic story of Love and revenge. I loved it.
N**N
Rather a come-down
After watching the extraordinary Onibaba and The Naked Island, both by Kaneto Shindo, Kuroneko is a disappointment. The vigour and novelty of his two earlier films are not present in Kuroneko, which is an uninspired ghost story and gave me the impression of being a potboiler made to to cash in on the success of Onibaba and The Naked Island. Plodding, languid, lacklustre, I felt that everyone concerned in the making of this film was just hoping to make a quick buck when the movie hit the US art house circuit. It seemed like a Hollywood production, everyone going through their paces but no one carried away. Interesting though, to see and contrast with his two great earlier works: the very failure of Kuroneko to grip the viewer puts into perspective the extraordinary power of Onibaba and The Naked Island.Neville Britten
G**N
Love the period of history.
Long time waiting to add to my Japanese film collection enjoyed as much now as the first time many years ago.
C**N
"Gorgeous 1080p HD transfer on the Blu-Ray" - disgracefully inaccurate description.
05-11-2018 Update to earlier review of Kuroneko below:I contacted Eureka MofC to see if they would help me and they've said that they will sendme a replacement disc free of charge.Top quality customer service from them and thanks to Stephen whodealt with this matter for me.I hope this copy is as generally described.By the way, "Gate of Hell is fine".Purchased/delivered to me in Sep'2018, along with "Gate of Hell".Unfortunately, I've only just viewed it (Nov,2018) and am therefore unable to return it.The rating is for the picture quality which is utterly appalling, except for a few minutes here and there - this is more like VHS standard.How it can be labelled as Blu-Ray, I'll never know.This is the second time a Eureka MofC film was so disappointing for me.I'm dreading what I'll make of "Gate of Hell" when I get around to viewing it.As for Kuroneko itself - this is a superb (5 star) film and I urge you to view it if possible. But not on Eureka!It is imaginative, moving and ultimately heartbreaking, in the way that, to me at least, only Japanese films seem to be.I believe that this would come across as a visually stunning film if handled correctly.
M**A
Disappointing picture quality
I have most of the Japanese Masters of Cinema series and was looking forward to this after their amazing release of Onibaba by the same director. Unfortunately the picture quality is the worst I have experienced on a Blu-ray- regular horizontal lines run across the whole of the screen and throughout the film. Assuming that I had a faulty disc I contacted MoC but they confirmed that the picture quality was due to the master they had available. I watched the DVD version the following day and this was a more pleasant experience- its an excellent film. I struggle to understand why they released this in a dual format edition.
G**G
Recommend
Excellent movie
A**R
haunting cat film
such a cool movie...highly recommended for lovers of japanese cat movies. i love these eureka dual format releases.
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