cccEveryoneknowsKanetoShindofromhishorrorclassics'Kuroneko'and'Onibaba'andalthoughthey'rebothundoubtedlygreatfilms,I'vebeenmoreimpressedbyhislesser-knownworks,like'Wolf'and'Human'andnow,'AScoundrel,'whichcouldbethegreatestofthelot.Setinthewar-torn14thcentury,thefilmconcernsthegovernorofaprovincewhosechamberlain(thephenomenalNobukoOtowa,Shindo'swife)tellshimofawomansheknewintheRoyalcourtwhosebeautycouldtearanationapart.Theforeshadowingisnotsosubtle.'AScoundrel'wasco-writtenbyShindoandJapan'sbelovedJunichiroTanizaki(anauthorwhohasnotimpressedmemuch,althoughI'veonlyreadverylittle),andisatoncehumorous,suspenseful,gruesome,andabsolutelyfascinating.