Set in azuchimomoyama period japan, it stars masayuki mori and machiko kyo. In ueda akinari he produced ugetsu monogatari tales of moonlight and rain. Ugetsu, also known as tales of ugetsu or ugetsu monogatari. The title ugetsu monogatari literally rainmoon tales alludes to the belief that mysterious beings. Born in the merchant city of osaka in 1734,ueda akinari, the author of ugetsu monogatari, was a creative figure of unique talent in eighteenthcentury japan. Hailed by critics as one of the greatest films ever made, kenji mizoguchi s ugetsu is an undisputed masterpiece of japanese cinema, revealing greater depths of meaning and emotion with each successive viewing. Every little detail inside the frame is highly planned, thought out and executed pedantically by him. A film version of ugetsu monogatari, directed by mizoguchi kenji, came out in 1953. These ghost tales showed a concern for literary style not present in most popular fiction of the time, in which the text was usually simply an accompaniment for the illustrations that formed the main part of the books. Ugetsu was one of the first works of reading books yomihon that were published for a smaller.
As in much of mizoguchis work, its the women who bear the brunt of male. Humble potter genjuro masayuki mori is received in the home of the diabolical lady wakasa machiko kyo in a famous scene from kenji mizoguchis ugetsu monogatari, 1953 view the tcmdb entry for ugetsu 1953. Mizoguchis exquisite gender tragedy is set during japans violent 16thcentury civil wars, a. In japan alone two of its greatest film artists created masterpieces. Its initial straightforwardness, as a parable against the pitfalls of human greed, is a misdirection that leads the audience into a void in which objectivity and subjectivity intermingle, hopelessly and.
Yasujiro ozus tokyo story was released, a film that has turned up on ten best lists ever since at least since foreign distributors finally decided that it be shown in the west. Ugetsu monogatari a tribute to kenji mizoguchi on vimeo. A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the japanese civil wars of the sixteenth century. One of my favourite pairing was the classic ugetsu 1953, kenji mizoguchi, and double suicide 1969, masahiro shinoda. Displaying or inputting japanese characters requires software that can read and input japanese software. Find out more with myanimelist, the worlds most active online anime and manga community and database. Among the masterpieces he created during this period, one of the most famous is ugetsu aka ugetsu monogatari tales of moonlight and rain, 1953. Ugetsu monogatari tales of the moon and rain 1953 has since i saw it for the first time followed me deeply throughout my life, namely because of as you mention, the cinematography is spot on.
The stories are simple, but abundant with traditional fictional japanese characters, such as the halfman halfbird tengu, white serpents. Eitaro ozawa as tobei as sakae ozawa ichisaburo sawamura as genichi. Mizoguchis ugetsu monogatari tales of the rain and moon, aka ugetsu is a highly acclaimed masterwork of japanese cinema. It is a ghost story and an example of the jidaigeki period drama genre, starring masayuki mori and machiko kyo. This is a beautifully produced book of gothic tales from japan. What remained with me strongly though is the atmospherics for the lack of a better expression of the cinematic effort. Looking for information on the manga ugetsu monogatari. Largely taken from traditional japanese and chinese ghost stories, the collection is among most important works of japanese fiction of the 18th century, the middle of the edo period. Two years alone in the wilderness escape the city to build off grid log cabin duration. The original trailer english subbed in high definition of ugetsu monogatari. He died in 1809, in kyoto at that time the capital of the nation.
Ugetsu monogatari has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece of the japanese. They were also the inspiration for mizoguchi kenjis brilliant 1953 film ugetsu. Ugetsu monogatari is mizoguchi kenjis most famous film and the first fruit of a unique carte blanche contract awarded to him by daiei studio on the back of the. No quotes approved yet for ugetsu ugetsu monogatari. Ugetsu monogatari has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece of the japanese cinema since the moment in 1952 when its director, kenji mizoguchi, won a silver lion award for the film at the venice festival. Audio commentary by critic, filmmaker, and festival programmer tony rayns kenji mizoguchi.
Based on a pair of 18th century ghost stories by ueda akinari, the films release continued mizoguchis introduction to the west, where it was nominated for an oscar and won the the venice film festivals silver lion award for best direction. Ugestu was based upon the ugetsu monogatari, a series of short stories written by ueda akinari in. Ultimately, ugetsu monogatari is the most dynamic of mizoguchis films. Ugetsu monogatari is a 1953 japanese film directed by kenji mizoguchi. Ugetsu monogatari by kenji mizoguchi kenji mizoguchi. Tsumura, hideo, a certain mizoguchi kenji in japanese, japan, 1958. One of the defining arthouse movies of the 50s is at last available again in the uk.
Kenji mizoguchis seamless fusion of poetic realism and surreal mysticism creates a rarefied atmosphere that is paradoxically beautiful and austere, redemptive and tragic, symbolizing genjuros coexistence between the physical and. In mizoguchi kenji ugetsu monogatari 1953, considered one of the finest of all japanese films, is an outstanding example of mizoguchis period drama. Mizoguchi s exquisite gender tragedy is set during japans violent 16thcentury civil wars, a. Ugetsu monogatari 1953, directed by kenji mizoguchi film. Ugetsu monogatari oyusama masters of cinema 1951 dvd. Of all the stories in the book the most intriguing and spinechilling perhaps are. It is one of mizoguchis most celebrated films, regarded by critics as a masterwork of japanese cinema, a definitive piece during japans golden age of film. The trials of the two men, one a potter masayuki mori who gets. Ugetsu monogatari has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece of the japanese cinema since the moment in 1952 when its director.
Ugetsu monogatari 1953, considered one of the finest of all japanese films, is an outstanding example of mizoguchis period drama. The films original title, ugetsu monogatari, roughly translates to tales of the moon and rain. Dissolving the family business, which he inherited, he became a physician and practised this profession until a young girl in his care died and he decided to give up. Anderson, joseph, and donald richie, the japanese film. Ugetsu monogatari was not the first kenji mizoguchi film to be shown in the west, but it was the first to reveal him to the west as a major artist. Mizoguchis ugetsu monogatari tales of the moon obscured by rainclouds left me with a peculiar aftertaste. Shape i may take, converse i may, but neither god nor buddha am i, rather an insensate being whose heart thus differs from that of man. During a bitter civil war, a greedy potter takes advantage of the situation while his neighbour heads off to become a samurai. Ugetsu monogatari tale of two men in seething 16thcentury japan has a color and panorama which makes this absorbing film fare. The life of a film director, a 1975 documentary by kaneto shindo two worlds intertwined, a 2005 appreciation of ugetsu by masahiro shinoda process and production, a 2005 interview with tokuzo tanaka, first assistant director on ugetsu interview from 1992. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Tales of moonlight and rain translations from the asian classics. Genjuros pursuit of both riches and the mysterious lady wakasa, as well as tobeis desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, miyagi and ohama. Ugetsu ugetsu monogatari movie quotes rotten tomatoes.
In wartorn sixteenth century japan, a potter and a farmer leave their respective wives, one to. Ugetsu monogatari was the basis for the film ugetsu 1953, directed by mizoguchi kenji read more. Like bach, titian, and shakespeare, he is the greatest in his art, enthused the french critic jean douchet. Ugetsu kenji mizoguchi 1953 japanese filmmaker kenji mizoguchis career reached its peak in the early 1950s just before his untimely death. Ugetsu monogatari is an exquisitely realized, serenely composed allegorical film on love, greed, and betrayal. Director kenji mizoguchis film is based on the 18th century supernatural stories in the ugetsu monogatari tales of moonlight and rain, and takes place during civil warfare in 16th century japan. David thomson the acclaimed film writer thought ugetsu monogatari to be one of the finest films ever made. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing ugetsu monogatari near you. Mizoguchis bestknown work, based on two stories by the 18th century writer akinari ueda often described as the japanese maupassant, was one of a handful. Kenji mizoguchis staggering ugetsu is a film of many riddles and paradoxes that unfolds with the illusory simplicity of a fable.
Ugetsu monogatari masters of cinema dual format edition. Tales of moonlight and rain is a collection of classical japanese horrorsuspense stories. 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. In ueda akinari ugetsu monogatari was the basis for the film ugetsu 1953, directed by mizoguchi kenji. Moma kenji mizoguchis ugetsu these notes accompany the screenings of kenji mizoguchis ugetsuon june 20, 21, and 22 my uncle, albert green, was an internationally acclaimed ceramicist whose work is primarily in the collection of the morris museum in new jersey. Hailed by critics as one of the greatest films ever made, kenji mizoguchis ugetsu is an undisputed masterpiece of japanese cinema, revealing greater depths of meaning and emotion with each successive viewing.
Ugetsu monogatari is a collection of nine supernatural tales by the japanese author ueda. In 16th century japan, peasants genjuro and tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sages warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Read ugetsu monogatari or tales of moonlight and rain routledge revivals a complete english version of the eighteenthcentury japanese collection of tales of the supernatural by ueda akinari available from rakuten kobo. Swiftly establishing itself especially in france on many critics ten best lists, the film opened the way for the acclamation of the work of mizoguchis final period. Kenji mizoguchi, director rutgers films in print keiko mcdonald on. Tales of moonlight and rain ueda akinari, leon zolbrod. No less acclaimed has been its maker, kenji mizoguchi. Western audiences immediately recognized the pictorial beauty of ugetsu and the lyrical power of mizoguchi s camera movements, but most viewers have found the films narrative elements. And as often for mizoguchi, nothing is a coincidence and nothing is put randomly into the frame. Here we saw how deviation from the right path, how favouring self over duty and responsibility, led to complete destruction.
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