MASAKI KOBAYASHI

was a Japanese director.
Among his films is ''Kwaidan'' (1965), a collection of four ghost stories drawn from by Lafcadio Hearn, each of which has a surprise ending.
Kobayashi also directed ''The Human Condition'', a trilogy on the effects of World War II on a Japanese pacifist and socialist. The total length of the films is over 9 hours. Other notable films include ''Harakiri'' (1962) and ''Samurai Rebellion'' (1967). ''Harakiri'' won him an award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, solidifying his place in the history of cinema.
He was also a candidate for directing the Japanese sequences for ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' (1970) but instead Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda were chosen.
Kobayashi, himself a pacifist, was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, but refused to fight or be promoted to rank higher than private.

Contents

Partial filmography

Film availability

External links

Partial filmography

★ 1953: ''The Thick-Walled Room''

★ 1957: ''Black River''

★ 1959–1961: ''The Human Condition'' trilogy

★ 1962: ''The Inheritance''

★ 1962: ''Seppuku'', a.k.a. ''Harakiri''

★ 1964: ''Kaidan'' (''Ghost Stories''), a.k.a. ''Kwaidan''

★ 1967: ''Jôi-uchi: Hairyô-tsuma shimatsu'' (''An Order to Kill: Over a Wife Bestowed, as It Were''), a.k.a. ''Samurai Rebellion''

★ 1968: ''Hymn To A Tired Man''

★ 1971: ''Inn Of Evil''

★ 1975: ''The Fossil''

★ 1983: ''Tokyo Trial''

Film availability

★ ''Seppuku'', a.k.a. ''Harakiri'' (1962)

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★ DVD: Region 0 NTSC: The Criterion Collection (USA)

★ ''Kaidan'' (''Ghost Stories''), a.k.a. ''Kwaidan'' (1964)

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★ DVD: Region 2 NTSC: The Masters of Cinema Series (UK) (Complete Version)

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★ DVD: Region 0 NTSC: The Criterion Collection (USA) (Incomplete Version)

★ ''Jôi-uchi: Hairyô-tsuma shimatsu'' (''An Order to Kill: Over a Wife Bestowed, as It Were''), a.k.a. ''Samurai Rebellion'' (1964)

★
★ DVD: Region 0 NTSC: The Criterion Collection (USA)

External links

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