Once upon a time in a mystical forest lived a snake girl named Seraphina. She had the lower body of a slithering serpent and the upper body of a beautiful young woman. Seraphina was known for her enchanting silver hair that shimmered in the sunlight. Despite her unique appearance, Seraphina was beloved by the creatures of the forest. They admired her kind heart and gentle nature. The animals would often seek her advice and protection from danger.
Having lived in a Christian orphanage for most of her life, Sayuri (Yachie Matsui) is finally found and adopted (or rather, re-adopted) by her birth parents. However, soon after arriving at her new home, supernatural happenings convince the girl that something is afoot. Her suspicions are proven correct in the form of a mysterious sister, Tamami (Mayumi Takahashi), who’s been hidden in the family attic for God knows how long. The reptilian-like child torments the innocent Sayuri, who begins to suspect that her newly found sister may be more than just a little girl.
Remarkably, as revealed in the supplementals, Yachie Matsui and Mayumi Takahashi would never star in a major feature again after their starkly contrasting roles in Snake Girl. Saturated in beautiful monochromatic hues, the performances are decent, the characters are interesting, the vfx are great, the spiralling hallucination sequences are fantastic bolstered by some eerie theremin.
The animals would often seek her advice and protection from danger. Seraphina, with her wisdom and magical abilities, would always lend a helping hand. However, not all creatures in the forest appreciated Seraphina's presence.
[Film Review] Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch (1968)
The child’s point of view can be a powerful tool in horror. It can emphasise being in a position of vulnerability and true powerlessness to maximise a sense of terror, but also has the potential to tell stories of growth and resilience when the child overcomes their fears and survives their terrible ordeal. The Snake Haired Girl and the Silver Haired Witch is a wonderful example of this, and one that until recently wasn’t made available to view outside of its native Japan.
Orphan Sayuri has been told that she will be reunited with her birth parents and is excited for her new life in a big house with her own room, new clothes, and everything she could ever want. Things begin to get strange as soon as she arrives, as one of the house maids is being wheeled away having died under mysterious circumstances, and her mother has sustained a head injury which makes remembering things difficult and calls Sayuri “Tamami”. When her father, an expert on venomous snakes, gets called away to Africa suddenly to study a new specimen is when the horror for Sayuri truly begins.
Whilst not based on a single work and instead taking elements from a few of his stories, The Snake Girl and Silver Haired Witch is derived from the works of manga artist Kazuo Umezu, a leading figure in horror manga with a career that started in the early sixties and is still going strong today (for more on Umezu’s role in the growth of girls’ horror in Japan, see here ). He is particularly known for often centring his stories around innocent and wide-eyed child protagonists attempting to find their way out of horrific situations. That is present here with protagonist Sayuri, and we often hear her inner monologue, something that feels fitting for a film that takes elements from a manga story format. The film’s director was Noriaki Yuasa in what is a departure from the rest of his career, which almost exclusively comprises films featuring Gamera, Daiei’s kaiju series created to compete with Toho’s Godzilla. It is a shame, because The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch does show an interesting style and it would have been nice to see Yuasa develop that more.
This really is a really fun movie, something evident immediately from the Gothic quality to the film’s set-up as we follow the innocent young orphan who is whisked away to an elaborate mansion full of strange objects and forbidden rooms, her new mother acts strange and aloof, there is a mysterious person living in the attic watching everything that goes on, nuns, and a family secret to uncover. Said family secret is the actual Tamami, Sayuri’s apparently hidden from public eyes older sister who takes an immediate dislike to the girl despite Sayuri’s best efforts. She is the titular Snake Girl, although the nature of that is ultimately slightly ambiguous. It is brought out most in visually creative dream sequences that are almost a tamer version of some of the visuals in Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House, who himself adapted Umezu’s work in 1987 with The Drifting Classroom. There are some moments where the effects show their cheapness, but if anything that just adds to the film’s charm. What these scenes achieve is really blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, making you question the exact nature of what is happening to Sayuri as well as heightening the feeling of childhood terror she is going through.
Of course, what is children’s horror without the child central to it all and Sayuri, played by ten year old Yachie Matsui, has a plucky sweetness to her that you can’t help but root for. She tries to make the best of her new situation, even with Tamami’s cruelty and housekeeper Shige’s disbelief at anything she says. Her only true ally is Tatsuya, an older boy from the same orphanage as her. It’s interesting and even keeps you guessing in a few places. There was a point when I thought that the father’s work with venomous snakes was going to play a more experimental part in an Eyes Without a Face fashion, especially when we see a scar along the edge of Tamami’s face. The actual sinister plot behind everything is a bit more Scooby-Doo than French New Wave, but still entertaining.
The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch has that fun children’s horror quality; not really scary, but an entertaining and fun watch. This could even be a good gateway film for people introducing someone to Japanese horror as it's fairly light on specific cultural elements but can introduce someone to the particular mood, attitude towards monsters, and touches on the things that veteran fans of Japanese horror would already be familiar with.
This is such an odd movie considering it really feels like a childrens movie but is filled with brutal murders and sadistic hallucinations as a young girl is picked up from an orphanage to live with her real parents but soon realizes that she has an older sister, someone who seems to be a murderous psycho as well as half snake. Coz you know, Japan. But then I realize that it is based on a manga by horror maestro Kazuo Umezu and everything falls into place. Because it really feels like one of his mangas and I never for a second thought that they really would translate well into a movie. But The Snake girl and the Silver-Haired witch partly…
In a deep, dark cave dwelled a silver-haired witch named Morgana. Morgana was jealous of Seraphina's popularity and held a grudge against the snake girl. Morgana, with her despicable magic, would concoct evil plans to harm Seraphina. She was determined to rid the forest of the snake girl, as she believed it would bring her the power and admiration she craved. One winter evening, as the snow blanketed the forest, Morgana cast a spell upon the creatures. Their bodies froze in place, making them unable to seek help from Seraphina. They were at the mercy of Morgana, who planned to use them as leverage against the snake girl. Seraphina, sensing trouble, slithered through the frozen forest, her silver hair glimmering in the moonlight. She stumbled upon the eerie cave where Morgana resided. With bravery in her heart, Seraphina entered the cave, knowing she had to confront the wicked witch. Inside, Seraphina found Morgana surrounded by her dark magic, ready to strike. The silver-haired witch sneered at Seraphina, gloating about her triumph over the frozen creatures. But Seraphina stood tall, radiating her positive energy, undeterred by Morgana's wickedness. With her serpentine grace and magical abilities, Seraphina unleashed her power upon Morgana. The forest echoed with spells and the clashing of magic. Seraphina's determination and kind heart proved stronger than the witch's evil intentions. As the battle raged on, Seraphina's silver hair glowed brighter, shimmering like moonlight. The forest creatures, sensing their protector's strength, broke free from Morgana's spell. They rallied behind Seraphina, lending her their support. Finally, Seraphina managed to overcome Morgana's darkness. With a burst of light, the wicked witch was banished from the forest forever. Seraphina's victory brought peace and harmony back to the mystical land. From that day forward, Seraphina, the snake girl with the silver hair, was revered as a true hero. The creatures of the forest celebrated her courage and thanked her for protecting their home. And so, Seraphina continued to live in the mystical forest, spreading love and kindness wherever she went. Her silver hair reminded all who saw her of the magical triumph over darkness, inspiring hope and belief in the power of goodness..
Reviews for "Breaking Boundaries: The Forbidden Friendship of the Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch"
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch" because the synopsis sounded intriguing. However, I was deeply disappointed with the book. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it hard for me to connect with them. The plot was predictable and there were no twists or surprises that made it engaging. Additionally, the writing style was dry and lacked any sort of creativity. Overall, I found this book to be boring and underwhelming.
- Mark - 1 star - I couldn't believe how poorly written "Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch" was. The dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. The pacing was off, with some parts dragging on for far too long, while others were rushed and poorly developed. The world-building was half-hearted and left me with more questions than answers. I was left feeling unsatisfied and regretful of the time I wasted reading this book.
- Emily - 2 stars - "Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch" was a major letdown for me. The story lacked cohesiveness and was all over the place. There were too many characters introduced without any proper development, and I found it hard to keep track of who was who. The writing felt disjointed and the transitions between scenes were jarring. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and unresolved, leaving me unsatisfied. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-structured and engaging read.