Donald Richie, the journalist and film critic, called it "one of the most perfect movies in the history of Japanese cinema"
This film has a number of flaws. The film company wanted to make a movie that would mainly appeal to an intellectual audience in Europe and the US, and NOT to a Japanese audience. The director was sent to a film festival with reels of this film when this film was completed. He was told he couldn't return unless he won an award. He spent most of his time praying in his hotel room.
However, this works for me. A few other films by this director often with the same actresses and actors are a little difficult to understand because the characters behave in a manner that is incomprehensible to those who don't understand traditional customs which are probably unique to this culture. Much of this kind of traditional behavior is never explained in writing. As a result one needs a cultural translator to understand what many of these characters are doing and thinking in these films. This is not necessary for this film. This film is quite international. It is also highly artistic. Today, I can see why the film producers felt it would NOT appeal to a Japanese audience.
The stories are based on Ueda Akinari's adaption of traditional Chinese ghost stories from the Tang Dynasty and earlier. I hadn't realized that the stories were Chinese in origin until I bought a few books of Chinese ghost stories.
The music is sensational.
The ending was unfortunately changed by the film company. The original had a more pessimistic ending about the effects of war on the psychology of people. The ending had to be rewritten before it was filmed.
Donald Richie, the journalist and film critic, called it "one of the most perfect movies in the history of Japanese cinema" I agree absolutely.
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