Akutô

Everyone knows Kaneto Shindo from his horror classics 'Kuroneko' and 'Onibaba' and although they're both undoubtedly great films, I've been more impressed by his lesser-known works, like 'Wolf' and 'Human' and now, 'A Scoundrel,' which could be the greatest of the lot. Set in the war-torn 14th century, the film concerns the governor of a province whose chamberlain (the phenomenal Nobuko Otowa, Shindo's wife) tells him of a woman she knew in the Royal court whose beauty could tear a nation apart. The foreshadowing is not so subtle. 'A Scoundrel' was co-written by Shindo and Japan's beloved Junichiro Tanizaki (an author who has not impressed me much, although I've only read very little), and is at once humorous, suspenseful, gruesome, and absolutely fascinating.

A servant's fanciful tale of a great local beauty to her boorish lord leads to obsession, bloodshed and war.

Some considerable way below Onibaba and Kuroneko, but with the magnificent Nobuko Otowa (surely the greatest Japanese actress of all) once again on board, Akutô still contains some powerful and haunting images, mostly of silent judgement and distaste passing over the faces of the powerless underlings forced to observe and accept the senseless events spiralling out of control, but they are fewer and further apart than one would like, and as a consequence the film drags a little. On top of that, most roles aren't fleshed out enough, and the presently available subtitles are notably poor.

As much a story about the power of stories as about lust or war, nothing really supernatural comes to pass and yet it still feels like a creepy campfire ghost story, which the Japanese (and Kaneto Shindo, especially) seem to do better than anyone else.

6¾ out of 10.

Kaneto Shindo did again. If I watch this movie without knowing name of the director, I could easily guess if it was shoot by Shindo. His touch so clear, camera, light, perspectives immaculate. Sound just perfect fit the action. Technically I can not say a single word.

This is very meticulous work.

Act also grasp the audience very successfully. Performances very impressive.

Script is well written.

Onibaba's dramatic story is not here. Here we see realism. We are left with the cruelty of life.

I saw the similar story in real life. People use their power for personal benefit recklessly, on the other hand human suffering rampant and they do not care.

Some could find story banal, outdated. So life itself.

It is my taste for sure, I can not say for everybody. I would recommend watch even just for Shindo's technically superb performance.