The Book of the Dead is the work of master animator Kihachiro Kawamoto, who trained under Czech legend Jiri Trnka—the man responsible for bringing the art of stop-motion puppet animation to film in the 1940s. Here, Kawamoto employs the talents of Russian animator Yuriy Norshteyn (creator of Tale of Tales, considered one of the best animated films ever). The film's intricate, sophisticated, creative style is beautifully and proportionately restrained, nicely complementing the Buddhist story that Kawamoto spins. Set in eighth-century Japan, the tale follows noblewoman Iratsume, who becomes obsessed with Buddhism, which is just being introduced from China. One evening she envisions what she assumes to be the Buddha, but in actuality is the spirit of an executed prince who has mistaken her for the last woman to see him alive. The pair develop a deep and complex relationship in which each strive for what the other has: namely, the spiritual and the material. Although glacially paced, The Book of the Dead is technically amazing, boasting fluid puppetry and meticulously detailed sets that easily allow the viewer to suspend disbelief. A fine paean to a somewhat vanishing art form in our increasingly CGI era, this is recommended. [Note: also newly available at the same price is The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto.] (A. Jacobson)
The Book of the Dead
Kino, 70 min., not rated, in English & Japanese w/English subtitles, DVD: $29.95 Volume 23, Issue 4
The Book of the Dead
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: