HALLOWEEN HORRORFEST 2019: Onibaba (1964)

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Our sponsor for today is Los Angeles critic, podcast brother to William Bibbiani and self-proclaimed Movie Snob Witney Seibold!  Along with Bibbs, Witney just opened the Critically Acclaimed Network, where you will find their fun and informational film and television podcasts (both Critically Acclaimed--a new episode is available as you read this--and Canceled Too Soon come highly, highly recommended).  Please consider signing up for their Patreon to vote on upcoming episodes, receive extra podcasts and commentaries and more!

Witney, in keeping up with his reputation as the more high-falutin’ of the pair, has chosen for this leg of The Halloween Horrorfest’s International 1964 Journey the Kaneto Shindo film Onibaba, a story that--much like Park Chan-Wook’s Thirst, which I discussed on a recent episode of Dread Media--owes just as much to the work of Woolrich, Thompson and Cain as it does to horror fiction.

The film is set up perfectly in the opening seven minute sequence.  We see two samurai wandering through the middle of a swamp, one of said samurai being very injured.  As they trudge through the constantly moving, high reeds, a blade comes out from out of nowhere and stabs the healthy samurai.  The two warriors collapse and are set upon by two women, who strip them of their armor and weaponry and toss them into a pit.  They then take the equipment to a broker to exchange for millet.

There’s nothing more that needs to be said: even though we get more details from the third person in this drama, Hachi, we know this is a time of war and these women are driven to desperate measures to survive.  It’s very much a film noir set-up, and Shindo leans into it throughout the hundred minute running time.  It shouldn’t be surprising that Hachi has eyes for the younger of the two women, and that the two begin an affair the older woman disapproves.  There’s some whisperings of betrayal, a scheme to break up the couple up and a samurai in an oni mask--that may be cursed--that inspires the scheme and ends up biting everyone in the ass in the end.

The line ‘I am not a demon; I am a human being!’ is repeated in different context throughout the film, and it seems that’s what Shindo is interested in.  He seems to be addressing that fine line that separates men from monsters in a monstrous time.  Whether they’re killing or making their next meal, the two women--who remain unnamed throughout the film--are just going about their day.  It’s just that their day requires behaving abominably to survive.  This is brought home not only with the denouement, but a sequence where the women come across a stray dog--and then proceed to chase it down, kill it and eat it with a shocking coldness.  And by the time Shindo makes his question literal, we don’t see the difference.

I love how quiet this film is--outside of the opening, there’s not much in the way of music and long stretches are silent--with minimal action, yet there is a sense of movement thanks to the setting and the ever-swaying reeds.  The acting is good overall, and the pacing is pretty brisk, which is amazing given that most of this movie is three people having conversations, sleeping and, well, fucking (I was a little surprised at how much nudity is on display, as I was given the impression that Japanese cinema of the 50‘s and 60‘s was very modest about sexual situations).

While I did not plan for this, At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul, and The Blood Drinkers to be viewed back-to-back-to-back, the contrasts are interesting.  The Blood Drinkers is trying to be something its not in telling a more ‘European’ horror story of vampires, and fails.  At Midnight... embraces the concerns of its country’s culture at the time and creates something unique to it, which ends up in the long run having a universal appeal.  And Onibaba is very much of its culture, but chooses to structure its story in a way that is universal, something that all cultures can understand.

This was an interesting watch, and I certainly recommend it.  I think it will be seen as ‘boring’ by those people who feel horror is blood and jump scares and music stings, but there’s something about a quieter tack that can be equally as frightening, but stick with it...it’ll pay off, I promise you.

Tomorrow we’ve got another sponsorless day (but wait until you see some of the sponsors for the next few days, including a slasher movie icon, a cult film director and a classic scream queen!), and the Randomizer--in an attempt, I suspect, to give me a treat--chose the only film directed by one of my idols, Brian Clemens, 1974‘s Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter!  It’s some classic Hammer horror from that studio’s weirdest period, and I’m excited to talk about it!

If you want to join my Murderer‘s Row of Horror Luminaries and get me to watch a movie of your own choice during the Halloween Horrorfest, please consider joining the Domicile of Dread Patreon at the $3 Tier or greater.  Each new patron gets a free slot in this Gauntlet of Ghoulishness!