Kaidan (2007 film)

Kaidan
Directed by	Hideo Nakata
Written by	Satoko Okudera
Produced by	Taka Ichise
Starring	Kuroemon Onoe Kumiko Aso Asaka Seto
Cinematography	Junichiro Hayashi
Music by	Kenji Kawai
Distributed by	Toho Company Ltd.
Release date	August 4, 2007 (2007-08-04)
Running time	120 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Kaidan (怪談, Kaidan) is a 2007 Japanese horror film, directed by Hideo Nakata, of two young people who fall in love but are hounded by the ghost of a murdered moneylender who seeks revenge, which leaves a lasting effect on the couple.

Plot

Oshiga (Kuroki) and Osono are sisters whose father was killed by Shinzaemon, Shinkichi's samurai father, due to a debt dispute. Upon his death, Oshiga and Osono's father vowed revenge for his wrongful murder. His body is dumped in a mysterious lake that's believed to be cursed and haunted by a woman, who was wrongfully killed by her husband many years ago. Shortly after, Shinzaemon kills his wife and himself, leaving their baby, Shinkichi, orphaned and in care of his uncle.

Years later, Oshiga, now a respected teacher who runs a school for young girls in Edo, falls in love with a young tobacco vendor named Shinkichi (Kunoemon Oroe), who lives with his uncle. Shinkichi and Oshiga decide to live together as husband and wife, but Shinkichi begins flirting with the school's students, especially Oisa. Miserable and invidious, Oshiga becomes mean to the students, who leave one by one.

Oshiga quarrels with Osono, who doesn't approve Oshiga's relationship with Shinkichi, prompting her to run away. Shinkichi admonishes Oshiga and declares he wants to end their relationship. She pleads with him not to leave. During this quarrel, Shinkichi accidentally wounds his wife with her shamisen's bachi against her left brow. They reconcile, but Oshiga slowly falls ill from her wound. At a festival, Oshiga's former student Oisa meets Shinkichi, who is there to buy medicine for Oshiga, and they rent a hotel room. There he promises to run away with her. He then goes to his uncle's house to find that Oshiga is waiting for him and states that he can leave but asks him to promise to stay by her side when she dies.

Oshiga meanwhile dies and is given a proper burial. Shinkichi discovers in a letter, left by Oshiga, that warns if he remarries, she will haunt his new wife until the latter dies. He and Oisa elope and flee the city, but they lose their way in the rain. Oshiga's vengeful spirit terrorises the pair until she makes a frightful apparition to her husband. Out of fearful defense, he strikes her with a scythe and to his horror, he realises he's stuck it into Oisa's neck. He passes out on the road.

He wakes up in the house of a wealthy man. They discover Oisa's corpse, prompting Shinkichi to run away to Hanyo where he encounters Osono, Oshiga's sister. Osono and Shinkichi mourn the death of Oshiga, and Osono soon finds her former brother-in-law a job. He gives her a small bell as a present. Soon, he's referred as the master of the house. The wealthy man and his wife want Shinkichi to marry their daughter Orui, Oisa's cousin. Shinkichi initially declines. After a blue snake attacks Orui, causing her against a fireplace and Shinkichi notices Orui's burn is in the same place as Oshiga's scar. He hastily agrees to marry Orui.

Shinkichi and Orui soon have a daughter, who's born unusually pale with a scar on her left brow. The child eventually displays strange characteristics, which troubles Shinkichi.

Cast

• Kuroemon Onoe
• Hitomi Kuroki
• Kikunosuke Onoe
• Kumiko Aso
• Mao Inoue
• Asaka Seto

Production

The title means 'ghost story'. The screenplay for the film was written by Satoko Okudera, based on the ghost story "Shinkei Kasanegafuchi" by Enchou Sanyutei.

The theme song of the film, called "Fated", was sung by Ayumi Hamasaki.

External links

• Kaidan at IMDb