The Two Faces of the Female Ghost: Female Images and Cultural Expression in Asian Horror Cinema—A Comparative Study of the 1960 Version of A Chinese Ghost Story and Kwaidan

Xiaoxiang Ma
Queen’s University Belfast

Abstract

This article explores the representation of female ghosts in Li Han-hsiang’s A Chinese Ghost Story (1960) and Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan (1964), analysing the ways in which gendered identities are shaped by cultural, social, and cinematic contexts. Through a comparative study of adaptation strategies from Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and Lafcadio Hearn’s retellings of Japanese folklore, the paper highlights divergent portrayals of female agency and power. While the Chinese film reaffirms patriarchal ideals through romantic redemption, the Japanese counterpart offers depictions of vengeful female spirits with greater autonomy, revealing broader tensions surrounding gender, tradition, and national identity in East Asian horror cinema.

Keywords: Female ghosts, East Asian cinema, horror cinema, cultural adaptation

Download PDF：