Ugetsu
Ugetsu • 1h 37m
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi • 1953 • Japan
Starring Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Kinuyo Tanaka
By the time he made UGETSU, Kenji Mizoguchi was already an elder statesman of Japanese cinema, fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other directors of a younger generation. And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and fortune leads them far astray from their loyal wives. Moving between the terrestrial and the otherworldly, UGETSU reveals essential truths about the ravages of war, the plight of women, and the pride of men.
Restored by The Film Foundation and Kadokawa Corporation at Cineric Laboratories in New York. Special thanks to Masahiro Miyajima and Martin Scorsese for their consultation on this restoration. Restoration funding provided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in association with The Film Foundation and Kadokawa Corporation.
Up Next in Ugetsu
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UGETSU Commentary
This commentary features Tony Rayns, a filmmaker, critic, and festival programmer with a special interest in East Asian cinemas. It was recorded in New York City in June 2005.
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Masahiro Shinoda on UGETSU
The director of such classics as PALE FLOWER (1964), SAMURAI SPY (1965), and DOUBLE SUICIDE (1969), Masahiro Shinoda considers Kenji Mizoguchi’s UGETSU one of cinema’s crowning achievements. This interview with Shinoda took place in Tokyo in May 2005.
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Tokuzo Tanaka on UGETSU
The first assistant director on UGETSU, Tokuzo Tanaka would later go on to direct several episodes of the famous ZATOICHI film series, starring Shintaro Katsu. He was interviewed in Tokyo, in May 2005, about his work with director Kenji Mizoguchi.
