Yotsuya Kaidan, Parts 1 and 2

Keisuke Kinoshita 85 Minutes/73 Minutes

Japan

1949

Staring: Kinuyo Tanaka, Hisako Yamane, Haruko Sugimura, Choko Ida, Keiji Sada

***/***** (both films) *These notes encompass both parts of Keisuke's work

Kinoshita Keisuke's two part Yotsuya Kaidan is his adaptation of the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon, arguably the most famous Japanese ghost story (with over thirty different adaptations). The story is one of adultery, betrayal, and murder, where the ronin Iemon yearns for a better and wealthier life. While he could have this with the beautiful and rich Oume, he is tied to his wife Oiwa who is fully devoted to her husband. But he soon gets the seeds of the idea to poison his wife and be given the chance to start anew. 

Keisuke's decision to break the story into two parts allows him to take his time with the domestic drama of the core group, with the natural stopping point in the middle being the murder of Oiwa. He also removes the ghost story element, altering lemon's haunting with an immense psychological guilt rather than a supernatural presence.

While these are all interesting approaches, and give the story a bit more of an unusual rhythm from other contemporary adaptations, portions of both films feels extraneous and linger too much on small details that ultimately detract from some of the impact, especially as it moves into the second part. But the films are intriguing in their direction, and Keisuke offers a different perspective of the more realistic horror of the piece, focusing not on the hauntings of ghostly revenge but instead the never-ending jabbing fear of guilt. October 18th, 2019