Available from Radiance Films on June 24th, 2025
A samurai meets a rich woman who he falls for, problem is, he’s married. He solves this by killing only to be haunted by her deformed ghost.
Written and directed by Tai Katô from a novel by Nanboku Tsuruya, The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost takes on the story of Iemon and his ghost wife, much like The Ghost of Yotsuya (which is included in the Daiei Gothic Japanese Ghost Stories set from Radiance Films), a classic tale of Japanese ghosts that has since inspired many films with its vengeful ghost and creepy atmosphere. The writing here is old school and so is the direction which work quite well for the story and its setting, showing a sort of old charm within the ghost story. This is a classic tale, one many have seen before in other forms and in other films, but one that works almost every time and here, it works quite well even as it takes more time to develop and get to the vengeance part. There is a bit of back and forth, some establishing story arcs, and plenty of talking, arguing, and just being not a great husband on the part of Iemon.
The cast here is led by Tomisaburô Wakayama as Tamiya Iemon, a regular of films from the era, turning in a solid, classic performance that keeps the viewer’s attention on him for most of his scenes. He’s a leading man here, good or bad, and makes the most of his part. Ayuko Fujishiro plays Oiwa, the titular ghost, and does so with nuance and a delicate attention to details. Her work here is great and sells the sadness of the living woman before she becomes the ghostly vengeance spirit. She’s fantastic to watch and steals a few scenes here and there. The leads are joined by a solid cast of character actors in supporting roles, roles they all manage quite well.
The cinematography by Osamu Furuya is beautiful, dark, and filled with sadness, mystery and a little creepiness that is entirely connected to the images created. The images here are done in a way that they tell the story almost without the story. The cinematography here shows masterful understanding of light and darkness, of black and white, of how to tell a story visually. The editing by Kôzô Horiike joins these images together into a flow of story that works perfectly well here, giving the story time to breath here and there before going full blown horror near the end.
The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost is an early take on a well-known ghost revenge story, one that sets the tone for many to come. The writing and direction are well-done, the acting is nuanced and sometimes subtle, with cinematography that is beautiful and well put together by a skilled editor. As precursor to a very popular subgenre of horror, this is a must-see film.
The new release from Radiance Films here looks fantastic with a high-definition transfer that is crisp and clear, audio that sound as good as it’s going to get, newly redone subtitles, and a few solid extras. Of course, the trailer is de-mise, as well as the new artwork by Time Tomorrow, but the disc also has an interview with Mari Asato (shot in 2025) about the film and a visual essay by Lindsay Nelson (2025 as well), and a solid booklet for collectors.