“Once it’s dark, it can’t get any darker.”
Horror is filled with iconic masks, from Michael Myers and his vaguely humanoid contours to Peachfuzz and his unruly snarl. Some allow killers to hide their identities, attacking in secret while maintaining a relationship with their would-be victims. Others provide a persona of strength and terror that a would-be villain could not otherwise achieve. Though masks have been a genre staple since the dawn of film, few are as uniquely terrifying as the Hannya mask in Kaneto Shindô’s Onibaba. Set in 14th century Japan, this gorgeous film follows a fearful woman who dons a traditional mask only to find it slowly seeping into her skin.
Kichi’s Mother (Nobuko Otowa) is patiently waiting for her son to return from war. Left without a male provider, she lives with Kichi’s Wife (Jitsuko Yoshimura) in a hut surrounded by a large field of suzuki grass. To make ends meet, the two women kill soldiers who wander by then trade their armor, weapons, and valuables to a local merchant for food and supplies. But this tenuous existence is thrown into jeopardy when neighbor Hachi (Kei Satô) returns from the battle bringing news of Kichi’s death. Fearing that Kichi’s Wife will leave, the older woman uses a Hannya mask to frighten the younger woman into staying by her side. But the more she hides her face behind this veil of power, the harder it becomes to take it off.
In the latest episode of Bloody FM’s The Lady Killers Podcast, co-hosts Jenn Adams, Rocco Thompson, and Mae Shults are joined by special guest Amber T to chat about names, huts, masks, and tall grass in Shindô’s stunning masterpiece. What power comes with this adopted face? Why don’t the women get names of their own? What really happened to Kichi and just how deep is this hole in the ground? They’ll answer these questions and more while unmasking the secrets of this unparalleled classic.
Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.
