Onibaba (1964)
Amid the rich history of Japanese cinema, two genres which stand out is the nation’s recent flurry of horror movies and the mid-century brilliance of their samurai films. Merging the two genres together was 1964’s Onibaba.
Set during a civil war in Medieval Japan, Onibaba centers on the relationship between a mother (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura).
The two women, impoverished due to the war, murder passing soldiers and take their supplies before a new threat comes between them.
An historical horror movie, Onibaba is creepily atmospheric, from the sights of reeds blowing in the wind to the images of mutilated bodies.
The ambiguity steeped in the central story is brought to the fore by striking visuals, which stem from the sharp contrast in black and white cinematography.
The end result is a viscerally scary tale of dire necessity, desperate violence, and the power of using fear as a tool.
