Apocalyptic Reconstruction of A-bomb Literature, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera: Onibaba
Apocalyptic Reconstruction of A-bomb Literature, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera: Onibaba

Summary/Abstract: Preliminary studies on Kaneto Shindō’s horror film Onibaba (1964) have based their analyses, in a positivist way, on the director’s elliptic statements, which inevitably restricted their perspective. Hence there are crucial points that preliminary studies overlooked: Onibaba was a self-criticism of Shindō, who had unintentionally contributed to the post-war Japan’s “victimisation narrative” with his early films inspired by contemporary a-bomb literature. Furthermore, the film draws on many motifs from such popular Western horror films as Frankenstein 1970 (1958) and The Phantom of the Opera (1962) to form an allegorical image of an apocalyptic world reverted to primitive ages due to the devastation by nuclear world wars. Endeavouring to “unmask” the hidden meanings of this intriguing but equally esoteric film, this comparative study aims to contribute to the research on a-bomb literature adaptations and horror cinema.

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