Demons in Kabuki *RERUN
Actor Kataoka Ainosuke explores the folklore and history behind Japanese oni, or demons, and guides us through three spectacular kabuki dramas in which they play a central role. While viewing the autumn leaves, a court aristocrat encounters a demon and fights it with a powerful sword.
The demon first appears as a beautiful princess who dances elegantly.
In "The Black Mound," an old woman in a run-down house on a lonely plain welcomes some priests and laments the bitter hardships of her life that have made her hate the world. But she is overjoyed by the hope of salvation offered by the priests.
She goes to get some firewood and tells the priests not to look into the back room. But the porter to the group is overcome with curiosity, peeks and sees the room filled with dead bodies. When the old woman sees the porter, she knows that they have discovered her secret. Her bitter experiences have transformed her into a demon.
Finally, the prayers of the priests release the old woman from her torment and she dies peacefully.