5/5 Stands with Kurosawa's best theatrical pictures
  by Robert Buchanan (Wisconsin)
Anyone who's familiar with Kiyoshi Kurosawa's output could guess that this second adaptation of "Seance on a Wet Afternoon" bears little resemblance to Mark McShane's novel or the stunning 1964 Forbes/Attenborough production. Rather than create a cheap and thoughtless retread, Kurosawa mined the source material of his fifth TV movie for inspiration, selectively exploiting certain plot elements in order to develop a more complex story.

An extraordinary and harrowing coincidence involves a staid married couple - a medium (Fubuki) and a sound engineer (Yakusho) - in the kidnapping of a young girl. Circumstances worsen as ambition and dissatisfaction inspire a sequence of terrible choices that lead to disastrous and disturbing consequences. As the kidnapper was a police officer, his peers are especially eager to uncover the mystery of his crime. However, the central figure of this story is a victim of both malice and accident...

Fubuki is at least as convincing as her counterpart, Kurosawa's famous preferred leading man. In most scenes, both of them convey far more through silent expression and inference than any direct communication. It's easy to understand why Kurosawa utilizes them so often: their commonplace qualities are entirely credible, as are the nuances of their performances. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and Ittoku Kishibe are well cast in a pair of comparatively undemanding roles, but Sho Aikawa briefly imbues the proceedings with subdued grace as a Shinto priest.

This is at least as good as most of Kurosawa's theatrical features, and a fine introduction to his style for the uninitiated. Special effects are implemented sparingly; the film's few scares and unbearable sense of dread are mostly accomplished through the force of the leads' performances and Takahide Shibanushi's carefully executed cinematography. Initially reserved, the story turns tortuously suspenseful, then terrifying before lapsing into a quiet, resigned finality. Slightly less deliberate than many of Kurosawa's other projects, the well-crafted plot confounds expectations, and is no more predictable to anyone who's read the novel.

This Home Vision DVD edition is similar in design to the HV editions of "Cure," "Charisma" and "Seance on a Wet Afternoon." Its A/V quality is unexceptional but unobjectionable, and its menus are easy to navigate; scene selections are accessible from two lists of titles. Subtitles are only available in English - they're easy to read and benefit from a good translation.

The special features are sparse, but of good quality. In a ten-minute interview, Kurosawa explains the adapted teleplay's extensive rewrite and his perspective on sound design, working with Yakusho and other topics pertaining to his career as a filmmaker and "Séance" in particular. Like the "Cure" and "Charisma" discs, this features three trailers: the effectively understated French theatrical trailer for "Séance," "Charisma's" cheap, rushed video trailer and the creepy, first-rate Cowboy Pictures theatrical trailer for "Cure."

5/5 scary (and neat way to learn Japanese)
  by Sparks (United States)
I watched this all alone during the daytime and it scared me plenty. The acting, dialogue and setting are all excellent. Quibble: logical lapses (why didnt the husband and wife use gloves??? etc). There were hardly any boring parts and the ending was perfect IMO. Exceeded my expections and definitely worth more than 1 viewing. Will recommend to friends.

3/5 Kiyoshi Kurosawa can do no wrong.
  by Robert P. Beveridge (Cleveland, OH)
Séance (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2000)

Séance on a Wet Afternoon is one of those staid British suspense pictures that pretty much everyone over thirty has caught at least parts of, either on video, in revivals, or flipping through TV channels on a Saturday afternoon. At this point, it's less a movie than it is a cultural institution. Still, it would probably not be entirely accurate to say that Kiyoshi Kurosawa here takes on Bryan Forbes (Kurosawa himself says in the DVD extras he'd never seen the original adaptation when he was presented with the idea, and only read the book after accepting the commission to do the film). It would probably also not be entirely accurate to say that in such a hypothetical battle, Kurosawa wiped the mat with Forbes.

Koji Yakusho and Jun Fubuki, both of whom previously worked with Kurosawa on Charisma, here play Sato and his wife Junko, taking the roles of Richard Attenborough and Kim Stanley in the original film. I have not read the book, and thus cannot say which version is more faithful to it here, but the fact that these two characters (and that of the hapless victim) exist is the final similarity between the two films, save for the climactic final scene from which it derives its name. Yes, the main plot point is the same: Junko is a psychic who becomes involved in the hunt for a missing girl. One of the two adapters of Mark McShane's book, however, decided to play a bit of "what if...?" with the mechanism of the girl's disappearance, however. The 1964 film presents us Bill/Sato and Myra/Junko as morally two-dimensional at the beginning; there are bad things afoot, and we know where everyone stands. The 2000 film injects another character into the early events and thereby completely changes the moral tenor of the characters; Sato winds up where he is by misadventure rather than by any moral deficiency of his own. We're already on firmer (or slipprier, as it were) ground than we were in 1964 when it comes to making a good movie; Kurosawa then goes on to make the original cop thriller into a flat-out ghost story, something at which Kurosawa excels (viz. the estimable Cure); add in a couple of cameos from the everpresent Ren Osugi (Audition) and Sho Aikawa (Ley Lines) and you've got yourself a pure-D Japanese delight. Could it have been a better movie? Yeah, probably. But is it a good movie as it stands? Definitely. *** ½


5/5 "Do You Believe There Is A Hell?"
  by Ernest Jagger (Culver City, California)
"Seance," by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, is a slow and heavily nuanced thriller that is not for everyone. Every film I view of this great director makes me anticipate his next film even more. He is not only a talented director, but he has a style all his own. From his outstanding thriller "Cure," to his enigmatic film "Charisma," Kurosawa gives the viewer another film worthy enough to add to ones cinema collection. And although this film is not in the same league as "Cure" this one is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination. "Seance" stars Kurosawa regular Koji Yakusho as a sound technician named Katsuhiko Sato. The film is a little slow paced, and may seem to lack cohesion in some places, but Kurosawa is noted for his showing not telling. He allows the viewer to figure out his narratives, and many times his films are very ambiguous But if you pay close attention to the small details, you will be pleasantly surprised. Or in some cases, a bit disturbed and shaken. His films are not the typical gore fest like American films. They are intelligent.

As the films narrative begins, what you have is a drama which will eventually turn into a supernatural thriller. Sato's wife, Junko Sato (Jun Fubuki) is a spiritual medium who performs Seance's. In addition to this, she is also working with a graduate student named Hayakawa (Tsuyoshi Kusangi) who is attempting to explore the possibility of mediums assisting psychologists. Hayakawa has written a thesis on the use of mediums, and as a psychologist, he wants to explore other avenues to psychological study. This is turned down by the department head however, as being too far off the wall in regular research. Still Hayakawa firmly believes in Junko's abilities as a medium. Moreover, there are some subtle to not so subtle areas in the film which point out Junko's spiritual abilities as a medium.

Junko's husband Katsuhiko (Koji Yakusho) is a sound engineer. When one of his co-workers needs to have the sound of trees blowing in the wind, Katsuhiko takes his recording equipment near Mt. Fuji, to get some good sound effects. Also, with him is a large sound case he happens to leave open when he is recording the sound of the trees, and it is here that the film will veer the viewer into an ominous chapter in Katsuhiko's life: For there is another narrative going on at the same time dealing with a recently kidnapped girl. Something occurs in the woods which will later have a profound impact on Katsuhiko and his wife. I really liked the way that Kurosawa gives the viewer the scenery of the surrounding areas where his films take place. There is an aesthetic beauty that tends to lend itself to the film. Not only with the outdoor scenes, but indoors as well. Especially the old buildings he uses in his films.

When an opportunity occurs, which may lend credence to the wifes psychic abilities, proving her powers to others, both of them devise a plan they believe will make her famous. However, there is much tragedy that lies in store for this couple, and especially for Katsuhiko. When tragedy does occur concerning this husband and wife, we see them both trying to deceive the police in order to give credence to the wifes claims of spiritual prowess.

This film has all the elements I like in a horror or psychological thriller. The suggestion of terror, and the nuance of horror. Moreover, the acting by everyone is first-rate. Katsuhiko and Junko are terrific in their respective roles. In fact, it is the acting performances that both these actors give which make this such a great and believable film. We see the hell that Katsuhiko is now going through due to his interaction with a spirit. Or is it a spirit? Is this his conscience weighing on him as he struggles to come to terms with a tragedy? Not only that, but you can sense his guilt at has recently transpired in his life. There are some great scenes and dialogs in the film when Katsuhiko asks a Shinto priest to cleanse the house of unclean spirits. The priest, played by Sho Aikawa [a regular of Takashi Miike's films], has some very profound interactions with Katsuhiko. The dialogs between the two inside the house, and outside was terrific. And although I really did not pay much attention to this the first time I viewed the film, it really packs a powerful punch when one later contemplates on this interaction. Especially when Katsuhiko asks the Shinto priest if he believes there is a hell. I recommend this film highly. Especially those tired of stale American horror films and thrillers. [Stars: 4.5]

3/5 Kurosawa
  by Shaun (Minneapolis, MN USA)
In the city, a little girl is coaxed from a playground and into a waiting automobile of a stranger who has his sights set on a large ransom payoff. Koji Yakusho (Doppleganger, Cure & Kairo) stars as Sato, a humble sound technician who, on a trip to the country to get some "wind sounds" on tape for a coworker, unknowingly becomes involved in the kidnapping. When the police are at a loss for leads in the case, Hayasaka, a psychology/paranormal studies student, takes the initiative to call on Sato's wife Junco (Jun Fubuki), a "medium" with whom Hayasaka has been working with to support his theories, to pour over some of the little girl's personal effects in order to locate her. When she fails to provide help, she allows herself time to re-examine her abilities and to take a respite from her homemaker status by taking a position at a local eatery. Junco begins to have morbid visions on the job, without her usual "paranormal preparations" and decides that her newer, more sensitive abilities are too much to handle at her job. Later that day, back at home, Junco and Sato find suddenly find themselves even further involved.


Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Kourei is loosely based on the tense, gloomy but brilliant film Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964). Both are based on a Mark McShane novel by the same name. It's remade with a slower, tenser, more methodical manner, which Kurosawa has nearly perfected. We only have to look as far as his masterpieces, Kiaro & Kyua (Cure), to witness a Kurosawa film's natural evolution into a fully realized, and cohesive body of work. Not known for artificially pumping up his films to create mood or action, he's remained true to his style and allowed the movie to progress on it's own accord. That patience may be to Seance's detriment.


I'm afraid Kurosawa's vision in this instance isn't as good as I'd hoped. There are tense, frightening moments, there's no question. The direction is great. There's a scene in the Sato home where Kurosawa uses multiple layers of light and darkness in varying degrees, and among the different doorways and halls to signal an spine-tingling little scene, that borders on, not only directorial, but film greatness. But I think the complete story itself, as far as staying faithful to the original story goes, wasn't quite brought to fruition. Some essential, relevant action and substance has been replaced with Japanese elements that, quite frankly detract from the story. But it was made for Japanese audiences, just like Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Grudge" remake was made for American audiences. There's even one very weird, Doppleganger-esque scene, which I really didn't get at all. It just didn't seem to fit.


I can certainly appreciate a good remake. Everyone should take them for what they are; homages to the originals (in most cases). Kurosawa's direction is reason enough to see Seance. As a compare/ contrast piece against Seance on a Wet Afternoon, it might make an interesting double feature. For the Asian Horror novice, this is as good a place as most to cut your teeth in the genre.