Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Kwaidan features four nightmarish tales adapted from Lafcadio Hearn’s classic Japanese ghost stories about mortals caught up in forces beyond their comprehension when the supernatural world intervenes in their lives: “The Black Hair”, “The Woman of the Snow”, “Hoichi the Earless”, and “In a Cup of Tea”.
Breathtakingly photographed entirely on hand-painted sets, the film is an abstract wash of luminescent colours from another world. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the complete 183-minute original Japanese cut of Masaki Kobayashi’s masterpiece on Blu-ray.
SPECIAL FEATURES
1080p presentation on Blu-ray from Criterion’s 2K digital restoration of Kobayashi’s original director’s cut
Original monaural Japanese soundtrack
Optional English subtitles
Kim Newman on “Kwaidan” – interview with the film critic and writer
Shadowings [35 mins] – video essay by David Cairns and Fiona Watson
Original trailers
A collector’s booklet featuring reprints of Lafcadio Hearn’s original ghost stories; a survey of the life and career of Masaki Kobayashi by Linda Hoaglund ; and a wide ranging interview with the filmmaker, the last he’d ever give.
