Kuroneko, directed by Kaneto Shindo, is a very complicated dark love story. Unlike many other films with similar background setting, we cannot see justice over evil at the end, and the conflict between samurais and ghosts are left unsolved. There is no right answer in the film, at least the director didn't give that intention. I think one reason why Shindo designed the story like that was directly related to his Japanese philosophy and the difference in thinking from western culture. His purpose was not to simply discuss karma or good and evil, but more about “losing — losing one's soul, life, honor, or humanity”. Most of Shindo's works focused on the lowest class of society, as he said, “I would like to see problems as they are faced by working people, who are the protagonists in my films.I am interested in the way they overcome their difficulties; at least, I like to evoke the hope of overcoming, some prospect for the future." It can also be reflected on his design of the two women occupy by a low animal as cat in Kuroneko. I have to say that Shindo is really a good screenwriter, that is why Kuroneko has such a well-knit plot. It is very compact and pacy to attract people to keep watching.
The film is full of oriental aesthetics, the thick fog and wind in bamboo is so poetic, and both the use of light and stage performance are very delicate and beautiful. Especially Yone's dancing as some sort of ritual and her fade in or fade out in the darkness make the atmosphere extraordinarily mysterious.
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