THE BLACK CAT FROM THE GROVE (Kuroneko) (1968) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Kaneto Shindo

Written by - Kaneto Shindo

Starring - Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kei Sato

"The Black Cat from the Grove is a stylish revenge ghost story with heavily violent undertones. It begins with the rape and murder of two women by the hands of mercenaries, who make a pact with the devil and seek revenge by feeding off of samurai blood. Meanwhile, their son and husband has himself become a samurai hero, and his reputation leads him to being charged with the task of tracking them down and eliminating. 

The film is set in feudal Japan, however the traditionalist setting of the story is rejuvenated by the modernist and stylised cinematography. Through this fresh style, Shindo injects excitement and creates a stark and dark atmosphere out of the old and the new without disregarding a welcome melodramatic twist at the core of the narrative."

Horror, Japan