Rating: 
Summary: obsessive
Review: A lot of people tag this as "Japanese horror". I tend to view this as a stylized drama. It may be splitting hairs, but there really never is a "true evil" device that so-called conventional horror movies employ or dictate to the audience. What we have here are emotions running high in a time of desperate survival.
Mother' and Daughter-in-law endure a meager life killing wayward samurai and pawning off whatever weapons and/or armor they recover. It's a harsh reality they must face until the hopeful day that Mother's son returns from the Japanese civil war. Hachi, their neighbor and fellow soldier of their son, escapes the fighting and brings news of her son's death. He settles and takes an immediate interest for the young Daughter-in-law. This unveils a fever pitch tapestry of lust, envy and paranoia on all sides when Mother confirms Daughter's "treachery". This stages a bizarre conclusion that, if not predictable, will stay with you for a while at least.
Given that this a work from 1964, I would say that it must be applauded. It's filmed in black & white when mastermind Kaneto Shindo could've filmed in color. But he felt the environment needed sharp contrast, and it worked. The source sound is (more than) a little rough but manageable if in the right frame of mind. There obviously was no way to totally clean up the source track. But to dismiss ONIBABA because of some technical merits would be missing a great film.
Speaking of which, the use of minimal dynamics to accent the performances is a signature style of early Japanese cinematography. The movie used basically just one location with endless fields of susuki grasses. He relied on emotion much more thsn dialog. And the music was predominantly percussive.
The DVD extras were appreciated. It may not be the most eesential material, but they could've scrapped a lot of it if they wanted. Shindo, in a recent interview, graciously covers the intentions of the film. Kei Sato's (Hachi) personal video film reveals a lot of on-set action. Also a little booklet inside makes for a fun read.
Highly recommended DVD for those looking for something outside the typical Hollywood fare.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant film.
Review: ....but that is not the purpose of my rant here. Anyone who believes that Criterion delivers prints of the highest quality, think again. Go to www.DVDbeaver.com for a couple of screen comparisons and expert analysis. Criterion frequently come of second best, usually by cropping the image and other such horrors (which is something that a pround and self-satisfied company like them should never do). The extras supplied by Criterion are usually far more extensive than those provided by other companies, but not always. Sometimes Citerion provides sheer quantity (with a great deal of arbitrary stuff that looks impressive on the back cover) while other companies provide fewer extras, but material that gets to the point. There are many examples available at this site, check it out: a real eye opener. I was rather suprised to find out that the new Criterion print of Visconti's "The Leopard", while being a far superior quality print (as everyone raves on about) to that of the the other version, is actually CROPPED (!). This, for a company that prides itself on bearing the mark of absolute quality, is shameful. Perhaps I am being pedantic here, but for purists to whom the collection should appeal it is not 'all that'. I am personally not a 'image purist', but if I were I would be dissappointed to no end. Other (international) versions do have fewer (if any) extras, but are usually far cheaper.
Rating:
Summary: Sure to give you the creeps
Review: A Japanese peasant woman and her nubile daughter in law make a living by killing war weary Samurai, throwing them down a pit, and selling their possessions. A no good neighbor who was fighting in the war returns and tells the women that their son/husband has been killed. Then he seduces the daughter in law, which fills the older woman with rage and jealousy. Throw in a haunting score with traditional Japanese instruments, black and white filming, and you have a very dark, yet erotic, movie. The tension builds until the ending, which is as freaky as they come. Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura put in strong performances as woman and daughter in law. With the recent popularity of Akira Kurosawa movies, there are sure to be Kurosawa fans who are interested in other great Japanese movies. This one is different - none of the characters in the film are admirable people. - but it is great it its own way and it will not dissapoint.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Japanese Horror Gem
Review: Although I had never seen the movie, I picked up the Criterion DVD for 'Onibaba' based on the plot alone. A widowed mother and daughter-in-law living in medieval Japan prey on wounded samurai wandering through the marshland. They strip the warriors of their weapons and armor and drop the bodies in a deep pit. They then sell the goods for food. Meanwhile, a former neighbor comes back from war only to upset relations between the women and himself. 'Onibaba' is based on a Bhuddist morality tale, but was also filmed as an allegory of post-war A-Bomb victims. Regardless, there is a lot at work here, but I wasn't nearly prepared for how incredibly erotic this movie was. Tall reeds that brush the bodies of those who run through them. And nothing is overtly symbolic than the rabidly [excited] neighbor screaming into the pit, "I want a Woman!" But overall, 'Onibaba' is a high mark in Japanese filmmaking with striking, lush photography and a score filled with whips, cracks and human scats that mirror Morricone's Spaghetti Western scores. It is a slower paced film, but never boring if you let it envolop you like the tall reeds that swallow the characters of the movie. Criterion is the master at restoring older prints like this and once again, do not disappoint. Aside from a few scratches in the beginning and a minor editing glitch in the middle, this does magnificent justice to the black-and-white photography and looks like a nearly new print. As with nearly every Criterion DVD you get a written essay on the insert. Extras include behind the scenes footage of the shoot, a still gallery, and a 20 minute interview with the director. Well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Japanese Horror Gem
Review: Although I had never seen the movie, I picked up the Criterion DVD for 'Onibaba' based on the plot alone. A widowed mother and daughter-in-law living in medieval Japan prey on wounded samurai wandering through the marshland. They strip the warriors of their weapons and armor and drop the bodies in a deep pit. They then sell the goods for food. Meanwhile, a former neighbor comes back from war only to upset relations between the women and himself. 'Onibaba' is based on a Bhuddist morality tale, but was also filmed as an allegory of post-war A-Bomb victims. Regardless, there is a lot at work here, but I wasn't nearly prepared for how incredibly erotic this movie was. Tall reeds that brush the bodies of those who run through them. And nothing is overtly symbolic than the rabidly [excited] neighbor screaming into the pit, "I want a Woman!" But overall, 'Onibaba' is a high mark in Japanese filmmaking with striking, lush photography and a score filled with whips, cracks and human scats that mirror Morricone's Spaghetti Western scores. It is a slower paced film, but never boring if you let it envolop you like the tall reeds that swallow the characters of the movie. Criterion is the master at restoring older prints like this and once again, do not disappoint. Aside from a few scratches in the beginning and a minor editing glitch in the middle, this does magnificent justice to the black-and-white photography and looks like a nearly new print. As with nearly every Criterion DVD you get a written essay on the insert. Extras include behind the scenes footage of the shoot, a still gallery, and a 20 minute interview with the director. Well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: A little known masterpiece
Review: Ever since I saw this movie in the late 60's, Kaneto Shindo's economy of means to make such a great film was what most impressed me. A swamp and its surrounding reeds, and a dilapidated hut, conform the stage on which an old woman and her daughter-in-law survive as scavengers of the spoils of war that ravages feudal Japan, while their loved one is away fighting. A returning samurai enters into the picture, and the young daughter-in-law starts to have second thoughts about her fidelity to a husband who may probably be dead. The mother in law becomes suspicious of the scheming pair and decides to pose as a demon to thwart the couple's nocturnal encounters. This is basically the whole concept behind the movie, but there are no words to describe how the beautiful black and white cinematography, the art direction and the score --made up of an incisive counterpoint of drums-- blend so effectively to paint so crudely the most basic human instincts. The movie is at the same time a manifest against war, a rich palette about the extremes that people reach to survive, and an all-encompassing canvas of lust, greed, fear and human misery. The night wind trough the reeds, the passionate embrace of the adulterous lovers, and the ... madness of the old woman merge together through the masterly hands of Kaneto Shindo's to become a masterpiece full of suspenseful, erotic and horrific scenes. Highly recommended for those who enjoy those rare films that touch the most sensible parts of the soul. This movie was etched in my mind since that fist time, it is a movie I'll cherish for ever.I long for its transfer to DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Zen Masterpiece
Review: Ever wondered what Basho's work might have been like in the age of cinema? It could well have been this. Simple story line, paucity of artistic means, narrative flows linearly, tension builds at constant pace, until the end which is GONG-like, and ensuing reverberation... like the jump of the frog in water. Overall, a summit of artistic expressions. Be prepared to experience ART as life and LIFE as art!
Besides the great actors , Sex is also cast in this film. Sex is manifest in its various forms: archetypal, aware or not, explicit or alluded at by, say, the waves of reeds in the wind, animal or poetic, and on and on. The score, by Hikaru Hayashi, is also remarkable.
Wonderful and generous package from Criterion--no surprise here. Crisp sound and black and white images. Good commentary. It is of note to hear Kaneto Shindô, the author, saying that this film was enjoyed by the public much more so than by critics of its time--1964.
Rating:
Summary: Unusual and provocative
Review: I generally expect, when I pop a Japanese horror movie into my VCR, to be treated to an hour and a half of staring at an iguana with severe halitosis and an overzealous pituitary gland, using taxicabs for Hackey Sacks in downtown Tokyo. This movie is the exception to that rule. "Onibaba" is a psychological fable, among other things. Set in medieval Japan, it features a codependent mother-daughter team, who survive by luring errant samurai warriors back to their lair, and then robbing and killing them. Over the course of the film, the daughter begins to feel an attraction for one of the warriors, and starts wanting to begin a new life, away from her mother. The mother, however, is evidently even more possessive than Norman Bates', and poses as a demon (by wearing a demonic mask) in an attempt to scare the suitor samurai away. Things get really scary when she realizes she cannot remove the mask... This really is a spooky film. You will be reminded of "King Lear" in some ways, in the sense of the mothers quandary over giving up her power over her daughter. It's one of the few horror movies that seriously scares you, and you will find yourself reflecting on it for a long time afterwards. Two thumbs up.
Rating:
Summary: A DVD zone YOUR LIBRARY
Review: I remember having seen Kaneto Shindô's ONIBABA in a little arty movies theater when I was about 15 years old. I've never forgotten its atmosphere even if this event happened some 30 years ago. I was really haunted by this sex story that took place in a swampy prairie of the medieval Japan. Onibaba's characters are lost in the middle of a field covered with uncut grass and wheat. We have to dive into this scenery that is the fourth main character of the film if we want to discover this tragic and fantastic tale of love and jealousy. An impressing number of scenes are already part of Movie History and will stay for a long time in your memory : the love scenes between the young woman and Hachi, all the scenes involving the mask of the stray samurai and also the first murder committed by the women if I may select chosen moments of this masterpiece. As always, the copy presented by Criterion is nearly perfect. Bonus features include a recent interview with the director Kaneto Shindô who's well over 90 now and a home movie shot by Kei Sato during the shooting. Frankly, I can't see now what can prevent you from enjoying this unforgettable film.
Rating:
Summary: A DVD zone YOUR LIBRARY
Review: I remember having seen Kaneto Shindô's ONIBABA in a little arty movies theater when I was about 15 years old. I've never forgotten its atmosphere even if this event happened some 30 years ago. I was really haunted by this sex story that took place in a swampy prairie of the medieval Japan. Onibaba's characters are lost in the middle of a field covered with uncut grass and wheat. We have to dive into this scenery that is the fourth main character of the film if we want to discover this tragic and fantastic tale of love and jealousy. An impressing number of scenes are already part of Movie History and will stay for a long time in your memory : the love scenes between the young woman and Hachi, all the scenes involving the mask of the stray samurai and also the first murder committed by the women if I may select chosen moments of this masterpiece. As always, the copy presented by Criterion is nearly perfect. Bonus features include a recent interview with the director Kaneto Shindô who's well over 90 now and a home movie shot by Kei Sato during the shooting. Frankly, I can't see now what can prevent you from enjoying this unforgettable film.
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