Onibaba (鬼婆 - "Demon Hag" (1964)) - A Gripping, Japanese Film of Human Survival and Female Empowerment, Written and Directed by Kaneto Shindô, Starring Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura and Kei Satô

[DIShGo]

I saw "Onibaba" a couple of days after I saw the Oscar-winning "Best Picture" of 2017, "The Shape of Water." While the latter disappointed me, the former was a delightful surprise--a gripping tale of human survival. 

The film is set in the 14th Century, during a Civil War In Japan. Beautifully shot in black-and-white, it tells the harrowing story of a middle-aged woman and her daughter-in-law who must resort to drastic measures to survive in their war-ravaged world. Basic human needs--food, water and sex--are the things the pair desire, and they do what they must to acquire them. Although it is set in Medieval times, "Onibaba" has a timeless quality, and could take place in any war, at any time. 

The women's hut is surrounded by fields of tall grass. Much of the film is shot low in this grass, creating a claustrophobic mood. The viewer feels anxious and trapped,  just as the women surely felt hiding there.

The acting is wonderful. The story is gritty, intense, erotic, and full of suspense. I highly recommend this film.

I saw "Onibaba" for free at the Freer Gallery of Art as a part of their Japanese Film Classics, offered at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the Month. The next screening scheduled is "Drunken Angel," a 1948 film directed by Akira Kurosawa, on June 6.