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Kwaidan (1964)

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi · Cinematography by Yoshio Miyajima

183 min60 frames

HorrorFantasyDrama

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

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Stills, screencaps & shots from Kwaidan

16 of 60 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

Kwaidan (1964) movie still: medium — A woman stands in a vast, bright orange landscape with blurred dark foliage silhouettes. The woman smiles…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: wide — A snowy winter forest with tall, frost-covered trees framing a clearing. Two individuals in dark, heavy winter…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: closeup — A man in traditional attire blows into a large, textured conch shell instrument. The background features a…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: wide — A narrow mountain river winds through a dense valley filled with green trees. A group of people carrying a wooden…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: closeup — A woman stands in a dense bamboo grove with green stalks surrounding her. She gazes slightly off-camera while…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: closeup — Red and purple ink plumes swirl through a transparent aqueous environment against white. The concentrated dyes…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: wide — A Japanese shrine area features a wooden torii gate and stone stairs at dusk. An elderly man in a dark robe walks…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: medium — A room with white fabric partitions decorated with red ropes and patterns. A woman in traditional silk robes…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: wide — A dark, misty forest clearing features a tiered stone dais under a bright sky. A large group of people in…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: wide — A rocky headland juts into a wide, calm ocean under an overcast sky. A lone figure in robes stands on the edge…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: establishing — A traditional Japanese-style building features a dark tiled roof against a clear blue sky. A large…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: closeup — A dimly lit room provides a dark, out-of-focus background for a close-up portrait. The subject's face is…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: medium — Three Japanese men sit in a row before a backdrop of painted flames. The central figure wears a plain gray…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: fullbody — A long, wooden traditional Japanese corridor features sliding shoji paper screens and wooden structural…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: establishing — A stone temple portal framed by ornate blue columns opens to a night landscape. Four iron braziers burn…Kwaidan (1964) movie still: wide — A spacious hall with sandy ground, blue pillars, and draped red ribbons hanging overhead. Two men stand facing a…
Kwaidan (1964) — © Ninjin Club, TOHO

Kwaidan — official trailer

What is Kwaidan about?

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.

Kwaidan is a 1964 Japanese horror anthology film directed by Masaki Kobayashi from a screenplay by Yoko Mizuki. It consists of four separate stories adapted from Lafcadio Hearn's collections of Japanese folktales, including two from his 1904 book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, the film's namesake. Set mostly in feudal Japan, the segments feature vengeful spirits enforcing moral retribution, while portraying the supernatural realm as largely indifferent to human suffering. The cast includes Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurō Tamba, Yoichi Hayashi, Katsuo Nakamura, Rentarō Mikuni, and Keiko Kishi; no actors appear in more than one segment.

Second paragraph from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where can you watch Kwaidan?

US availability for Kwaidan (1964). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in Kwaidan?

Who made Kwaidan?

What does the cinematography of Kwaidan look like?

Across 60 sampled frames, Kwaidan builds its coverage from wide compositions (45% of the sample), with close-ups (30%) carrying much of the rest. Cinematographer Yoshio Miyajima keeps 45% of it in soft, naturalistic light. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame. Deep focus keeps foreground and background readable at once in 63% of the frames.

What is the color palette of Kwaidan?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Kwaidan (1964) are #312e2a, #53524d, #121211, #53483a, #d3d3d1, #f1f0ef — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #312e2a
  • #53524d
  • #121211
  • #53483a
  • #d3d3d1
  • #f1f0ef

See the full Kwaidan colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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Techniques in this film

More films by Masaki Kobayashi

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