Plot: Shinzaemon, a cruel samurai, kills a moneylender and dumps his body in a nearby river. Legend says that whoever drowns in the river never surfaces again. Two decades later, Shinzaemon's son meets up with Toyoshiga, the daughter of the man his father killed. The two fall in love, but a curse hangs over their relationship.
Watches
March 19, 2025
This was a big change of pace for Nakata, at least for those in the West who got to know him through his Ringu-style horror films. Kaidan is a classic Japanese horror tale. And it turns out it's not quite as novel or special as I thought it was when I first watched it, it's just that back then I didn't know any better.
It's not a bad film mind, Nakata takes the classic formula and gives it a lick of paint. The pacing is rather slow though and the horror is very limited, but people familiar with the 50s-60s era films will recognize it for what it is. Decent performances, some moody scenes, and a nice finale, but not quite a personal favorite anymore.
June 30, 2008
[review pending]