Onibaba

The two fleeing soldiers are ambushed in a tall reed field near Kyoto as the Nanboku-chō period begins. An older woman and her daughter-in-law murder them, stripping off armor and weapons before disposing of the corpses in a deep hidden pit. The brutal act sets the grim dynamic of theft and murder that fuels the rest of the film.

The two women haul away the fallen soldiers’ armor and weapons, keeping what they salvage for themselves. They drop the bodies into the concealed pit, showing a pragmatic, merciless approach to danger and hunger. The act underscores how war’s chaos informs their daily choices.

The next day they present the armor to a merchant named Ushi, trading it for food and supplies. Ushi warns of the war’s spreading desperation across the countryside and then makes a crude sexual proposition to the older woman, which she rebuffs. The encounter reveals the fragile moral boundaries they navigate in a war-torn landscape.

A neighbor named Hachi returns from the war and the women ask about Kishi, the older woman's son and the younger woman’s husband who was conscripted. Hachi reveals they deserted, and that Kishi was later killed after they were caught stealing food from farmers. The older woman blames Hachi for her son's death, deepening the tension between them.

Despite warnings, the younger woman begins sneaking out at night to visit Hachi and becomes entangled in an affair. The older woman reacts with anger and jealousy, trying to maintain control over her daughter-in-law. Their tense dynamic deepens as desire clashes with fear and guilt.

A lost samurai arrives wearing a Hannya mask and forces the older woman to guide him out of the field. He claims the mask protects his handsome face from harm. She lures him toward danger, keeping him in the field and away from other travelers.

She tricks the samurai into falling into the pit and retrieves his possessions, including the mask, revealing his disfigured, weather-beaten face. The discovery of the mask underscores the superstition and danger surrounding the wearer. The forces of guilt and power shift as she gains a new, dangerous tool.

At night the older woman dons the samurai’s robes and mask to block the younger woman’s path, frightening her into retreat. The younger woman is terrified, increasing the threat of the 'demon' she fears. The household atmosphere grows more claustrophobic as fear governs action.

During the day the older woman reinforces the demon punishment narrative for the younger woman’s affair with Hachi. The younger woman avoids Hachi during daytime but continues to seek him at night, showing how the power imbalance persists. The tension escalates as manipulation replaces honest communication.

In a rainstorm, the older woman again terrifies the younger with the mask, but Hachi seeks out the younger woman anyway and they make love in the grass. The older woman watches, powerless to prevent their bond. The scene intensifies the younger woman’s attachment to Hachi and deepens the wedge with her mother-in-law.

Hachi returns to his hut only to be felled by a deserter who steals his food and stabs him. The murder highlights the brutal volatility of the war-torn environment and underscores how insecurity drives the characters’ actions. The older woman learns of his death and the fragile power the mask had granted her is threatened.

After getting wet in the rain, the mask cannot be removed, so the older woman reveals the plan she had hatched to the younger woman and pleads for help to remove it. The younger woman agrees to help only if the older promises not to interfere with her relationship with Hachi any longer. The exchange marks a turning point in their fragile alliance.

The younger woman helps attempt to remove the mask; when the older woman’s plan is executed, the mask is broken with a mallet, revealing the older woman’s disfigured face. The act implies that the mask’s curse is real, binding itself to its wearer through the rain’s metaphysical punishment. The two women confront the consequences of their actions.

Believing the 'demon' remains real, the younger woman flees, while the older woman pursues in a desperate attempt to reclaim her legacy. The two leap toward the edge and tumble into the pit; the film ends with the fate of both women unclear as the scene fades. The ending emphasizes cycles of violence and the ambiguous humanity within them.