The 1964 Japanese horror film anthology Kwaidan (怪談) will play in Pittsburgh from October 8 through 13, part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's International Art House series.
New 4K Restoration! Original Japanese Cut!Spirits in the drinking water, stolen ears, crabs with human faces: such are the endless wonders of Kwaidan. A haunting masterpiece of world cinema, Kwaidan remains one of the most visually astonishing horror films ever made. Directed by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri) and based on the collected folklore Lafcadio Hearn, this anthology film presents four supernatural tales: a doomed samurai haunted by his past, a snow spirit's deadly bargain, a blind musician performing for the dead, and a mysterious encounter with a man who cannot stop smiling.
Produced during the golden age of Japanese cinema, Kwaidan was an ambitious and extraordinarily expensive undertaking, with Kobayashi constructing elaborate expressionistic sets that transform traditional ghost stories into breathtaking cinematic nightmares. Eschewing realism in favor of stylized color palettes, theatrical staging, and an eerie, avant-garde soundscape by composer Toru Takemitsu (Akira Kurosawa’s Ran), the film created a visual language that continues to influence filmmakers more than sixty years later. This new restoration of Kwaidan reflects the full, original three-hour cut of the film as originally released in Japan.
It plays at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.