Deep within the wind-swept marshes of war-torn medieval Japan, an impoverished mother and her daughter-in-law eke out a lonely, desperate existence. Forced to murder lost samurai and sell their belongings for grain, they dump the corpses down a deep, dark hole and live off of their meager spoils. When a bedraggled neighbor returns from the skirmishes, lust, jealousy, and rage threaten to destroy the trio's tenuous existence, before an ominous, ill-gotten demon mask seals the trio's horrifying fate. Driven by primal emotions, dark eroticism, a frenzied score by Hikaru Hayashi, and stunning images both lyrical and macabre, Kaneto Shindo's chilling folktale Onibaba is a singular cinematic experience.
Supplements
New video interview with writer/director Kaneto Shindo
Rare super-8 black & white and color footage provided by actor Kei Sato, shot on location during the filming of Onibaba
Original trailer
Stills gallery featuring production sketches and promotional art
Rare English translation of the original short Buddhist fable that inspired the film
Filmmaker's statement from writer/director Kaneto Shindo
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