I haven't seen the film yet, looking forward to receiving it from Lovefilm, but the plot sounds very similar to Camus' play "Misunderstanding", where a mother and daughter work in an inn and kill off the guests, until they end up killing one who turns out not to be a stranger. Does anyone know if the film is based on the play?
shareI haven't seen that play, but it doesn't sound like it's the same plot as this movie. The killing off samuai part of this movie is just one part of the plot. The overall story is different.
shareyeah that's not really the plot. this is a great movie, the whole point of it comes towards the end imo.
shareThe plot of the film is similar to that of Camus"play up to a certain point.Then both stories develop in different direction.Though the film is powerful,it lacks the philosophical base and psychological depth of the play.
shareThat is an interesting and well thought out connection, though.
He said it's all in your head, and I said, so's everything--
But he didnt get it.
Camus's play has a different plot: it's also a plot that has been used bu many other writers, including short stories by de Maupassant and Conrad.
shareI don't know the play but in this film the 2 women murder out of plain survival. There is no food around except what they can buy from the recovered samurai property. Sounds like that play has 2 women murdering for more than just survival.
shareThis film is based on an old Buddhist parable.The similarities are simply coincidental.
shareWhat's this parable? Very interesting that this great film is based on a historical story. Any info on it?
shareAccording to a review (link is below):
"Shindo, took as his starting point a Shin Buddhist parable that he heard as a child: an old woman is furious with her daughter-in-law for continually neglecting household chores to go off to the temple and pray. She hides in the bushes along the path and when the younger woman comes along, she jumps out wearing a demon mask, terrifying her. Buddha punishes the old woman for her dishonesty and impiety by sticking the mask to her face. The old woman desperately claws and scrabbles at the grotesque mask but she can't get it off; eventually she prays to Buddha to let her remove it and Buddha mercifully agrees, but his gentle mercy reveals itself as something quite different when the woman wrenches it off and takes the flesh of her face with it."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/oct/15/onibaba-kaneto-shindo-devil-woman
That Buddha, such a prankster!
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