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Catalog/Drama/Kwaidan
Kwaidan poster
S
Masterwork
MASTER SCORE 88.5 / 100
1964·Drama / Fantasy / Horror·3h 3m

KWAIDAN

“In the tradition of "RASHOMON" and "GATE OF HELL."”

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a cost. Blind musician Hoichi is forced to perform for an audience of ghosts. An author relates the story of a samurai who sees another warrior's reflection in his teacup.

Above the Line
Masaki Kobayashi·DirectorYōko Mizuki·ScreenplayYoshio Miyajima·Director of PhotographyToru Takemitsu·Original Music ComposerHisashi Sagara·Editor
Cast
Michiyo Aratama·First Wife (segment "The Black Hair")Rentaro Mikuni·Husband (segment "The Black Hair")Misako Watanabe·Second Wife (segment "The Black Hair")Kenjirō Ishiyama·Father (segment "The Black Hair")Ranko Akagi·Mother (segment "The Black Hair")Fumie Kitahara·(segment "The Black Hair")Kappei Matsumoto·(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)Yoshiko Ieda·(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)Otome Tsukimiya·(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)Kenzō Tanaka·(segment "The Black Hair") (uncredited)
Full Crew
(6 credits)
Directing· 1
Masaki Kobayashi·Director
Writing· 1
Yōko Mizuki·Screenplay
Camera· 1
Yoshio Miyajima·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Hisashi Sagara·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Toru Takemitsu·Original Music Composer
Production· 1
Shigeru Wakatsuki·Producer
By the Numbers
88.5
OF 100
Master Score
7.9
OF 10
IMDb
91%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Kwaidan's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#000000
#FF0000
#FFFFFF
Mood
Eerie
Composition
Centered
Era
1960s
Visual Style
Graphic Design

“The image is a poster with a black background. In the center, there are two lines of text. The top line is in red and consists of two Japanese characters. Below”

horrorfantasy
Key Elements
Text
Atmosphere
Dark
Color Mood
Dark
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
7/10
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