Kenji mizoguchi looms over the history not only of japanese cinema but of world. As director tokuzo tanaka suggests, kenji mizoguchi s ugetsu is a mediation on the ephemeral nature of life, a film that contrasts the sensible needs of women with the greedy ambitions of man, the alluring beauty of the spirit world with the blunt horror of reality. A documentary film on the life and works of director kenji mizoguchi. Starring yamada isuzu, takegawa seiichi, and okura chiyoko. Kenji mizoguchi and the art of japanese cinema is the definitive guide to the life and work of one of the greatest filmmakers of the twentieth century. Ugetsu monogatari is the mizoguchi film in many critics 10best lists, while the life of oharu is the epic. Mizoguchis greatest decade cleveland institute of art.
This documentary shot over two years recounts the masters life and career across some 36 interviews with actors, producers and crew members from the films. Born at the end of the nineteenth century into a wealthy family, mizoguchi s early life influenced the themes he would. Although mizoguchi faithfully set the film during that same period as the original novel, one still gets the. Utamaro 17531806 is a historical figure, one of japans most renowned artists, and mizoguchi locates the artists passions in the realm of the directors own experience. Sipping monty pythons holy ale while watching monty python and the holy grail. Specijalnost su mu bile socijalne drame, kao i vjesto koristenje dugih kadrova, koje mu je donijelo priznanje ne samo u domovini, nego u svijetu. One of the best documentaries about a film director, this is twoand a half hours long and chockfull of. Mizoguchi is cinemas shakespeare, its bach or beethoven, its rembrant, titian or picasso.
This is a film that is guaranteed to leave you heartbroken. Viewed with kaneto shindos invaluable documentary, this becomes an obvious. Although mizoguchi faithfully set the film during that same. Later he became an assistant director and made his first film in 1922.
Foreign policy, and war in fascist italy and nazi germany. His masterpiece ugetsu is my favorite movie to show in intro to film classes to exemplify japans astonishingly rich postworld war ii period. May 08, 2012 directed by kenji mizoguchi these notes accompany the screenings of kenji mizoguchis the life of oharu on may 9, 10, and 11 in theater 3. Kenji mizoguchi and the art of japanese cinema is the definitive guide to the life and work of one of the greatest film makers of the twentieth century.
According to writer mark le fanu, his films have an extraordinary force and purity. Nov 11, 2001 redlight district, the film by kenji mizoguchi, translated and annotated by d. A documentary film on the life and works of director kenji. Mizoguchi himself said he made only about 75 films or so, not really very many. Jun 12, 2015 a film blog with a chicago perspective. Upgrade to a letterboxd pro account to add your favorite services to this listincluding any service and country pair listed on justwatchand to enable oneclick filtering by all your favorites. Directed by kenji mizoguchi these notes accompany the screenings of kenji mizoguchis the life of oharu on may 9, 10, and 11 in theater 3. However, unlike some other male directors who tended to romanticize their female. The life of a film director, a 150 minute documentary from 1975. Mizoguchi kenji, born may 16, 1898, tokyo, japandied aug. Mizoguchis work is renowned for its long takes and miseenscene.
Upgrade to a letterboxd pro account to add your favorite services to this listincluding any service and country pair listed on justwatchand to enable oneclick filtering by all your favorites powered by justwatch. The life of oharu 1952, directed by kenji mizoguchi film. Mizoguchi s selfprophecy took form on the screen with the life of oharu 1952, vget su monogatari 1953, sansho the bailiff, the crucified woman, chikamatsu monogatari 1954, the empress yang. As director tokuzo tanaka suggests, kenji mizoguchis ugetsu is a mediation on the ephemeral nature of life, a film that contrasts the sensible needs of women with the greedy ambitions of man, the alluring beauty of the spirit world with the blunt horror of reality. The life of a film director shindo, japan kenji mizoguchi was, in my opinion, the greatest of all japanese directors and here he gets a fitting tribute from another master, his compatriot kaneto shindo onibaba. Phillip lopate on kenji mizoguchis portrayal of women duration. Although he filmed almost 90 movies in the silent era, only his last 12 productions are really known outside of japan because they were especially. It describes the trajectory of mizoguchis long career clearly and accurately, providing a lot of anecdotal testimony about his aims and methods. Kenji mizoguchi biography, movie highlights and photos. The life of oharu the criterion collection bluray 2017. The life of oharu, kenji mizoguchis careerredefining film, follows a woman and her fall. Media in category kenji mizoguchi the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total.
June 12, 2015 the 40 best films of 1975 on the occasion of my 40th birthday by michaelgloversmith. In the last five years of his life, kenji mizoguchi 18981956. May 02, 2014 utamaro 17531806 is a historical figure, one of japans most renowned artists, and mizoguchi locates the artists passions in the realm of the directors own experience. Kenji mizoguchi, mizoguchi kenji, may 16, 1898 august 24, 1956 was a japanese film director and screenwriter mizoguchi s work is renowned for its long takes and miseenscene. Kenji mizoguchis final film, street of shame akasen chitai, 1956 offers a last look at one of his recurring themes the difficulties that women without resources have always faced in the world. The first, voyage to italy, was flawless and sharpperhaps a little too sharp. In italy, roberto rossellini and pier paolo pasolini directed their final films both amazing. Just two years later, mizoguchi began winning top venice prizes with life of oharu 1952, ugetsu. Jul 15, 2014 according to aleichem, life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. According to aleichem, life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. The monthlong retrospective of all the extant films by the japanese director kenji mizoguchi 18981956 at museum of the moving image is a longoverdue tribute to his supreme artistry. Genroku chushingura, also known as the fortyseven ronin of the genroku era, or in the case of kenji mizoguchis twopart, 220minute adaptation, the loyal fortyseven ronin 194142, is one of japans great historical legends. Coming from a lower class family mizoguchi entered the production company nikkatsu as an actor specialized in female roles. The great directors legendary version of chushingura is finally available in a sparkling dvd transfer.
The war ended too quickly and in 1905 the family was left destitute, with kenjis sister given up for adoption to help cope. Kenji mizoguchi street of shame 1956 taira clan saga 1955 princess yang kweifei 1955 the tale of the crucified lovers 1954 the woman in the rumor 1954 sansho the bailiff. His life and films have since been the subject of academic studies, festival retrospectives and television. Kenji mizoguchi the life of a film director 1975 kaneto shindo duration. It shares a rotating slot with ozus tokyo story, kurosawas seven samurai and mizoguchis own sansho the bailiff akira kurosawa is the most famous japanese.
This chronicle of the decline of a woman, from service in the imperial court of 17thcentury japan through exile, concubinage and numerous stages of prostitution, should further enhance mizoguchi. Kenji mizoguchi, mizoguchi kenji, may 16, 1898 august 24, 1956 was a japanese film director and screenwriter. Redlight district, the film by kenji mizoguchi, translated and annotated by d. Kenji mizoguchi entered the film world as a promoter of western novelty in japanese cinema and exited it as an acclaimed international director who exemplified japan at its most traditional. May 16, 1898 august 24, 1956 was a japanese film director and screenwriter. Kenji mizoguchi active 1922 1956 born may 16, 1898 died aug 24, 1956 genres drama overview v. Its a beautifully photographed period piece that charts the stepbystep downfall of a 17thcentury woman kinuyo tanaka, mizoguchis. Mizoguchis selfprophecy took form on the screen with the life of oharu 1952, vget su monogatari 1953, sansho the bailiff, the crucified woman, chikamatsu monogatari 1954, the empress yang. A peerless chronicler of the soul who specialized in supremely emotional, visually exquisite films about the circumstances of women in japanese society throughout its history, kenji mizoguchi ugetsu had already been directing movies for decades when he made the life of oharu in 1952. A geisha 1953 kenji mizoguchi, michiyo kogure, ayako wakao.
Over the course of a threedecade, more than eighty film career, master cineaste kenji mizoguchi ugetsu, sansho the bailiff would return again and again to one abiding theme. The first of five musashi series, shinobu and her brother genichiro plead with the famous swordsman musashi miyamoto to teach them swordsmanship to avenge their fathers death. A geisha 1953 kenji mizoguchi, michiyo kogure, ayako wakao, seizaburo kawazu november, 2019 in the postwar, the sixteen yearold teenager eiko seeks out the geisha miyoharu in the district of gion, in kyoto asking her to be a maiko apprentice of geisha. Kenji mizoguchi the life of a film director 1975 kaneto. After the life of oharu and ugetsu won prizes in successive venice film festivals in the early 50s, mizoguchi became an icon for the nascent french new wave. The killers of their father see the sister and brother practicing with miyamoto, and so enlist the help of another powerful swordsman, kojiro sasaki, which gives sasaki an excuse to battle miyamoto. Born at the end of the nineteenth century into a wealthy family, mizoguchis early life influenced the themes he would. Kenji mizoguchi is one of the three acclaimed masters together with yasujiro ozu and akira kurosawa of japanese cinema. August 24, 1956, kyoto, japan filmography bibliography articles in senses web resources the comparisons are as inevitable as they are unfashionable, wrote james quandt, introducing the centenary retrospective of the films of kenji mizoguchi.
It describes the trajectory of mizoguchis long career clearly and accurately, providing a lot of. Subtitles in english, brazilian portuguese, and spanish. International prize, venice festival, for the life of oharu, 1952. Apr 20, 2014 kenji mizoguchi the life of a film director 1975 kaneto shindo duration. Kenji mizoguchi 18981956 was a japanese film director most noted for exploring both personal and broad societal issues such as the status of women. Directors director filmography the films of kenji mizoguchi. Kenji mizoguchi entered the film world as a promoter of western novelty in japanese cinema. Shinpa melodramatic theater is the place much beloved of this director where. June 12, 2015 the 40 best films of 1975 on the occasion of my. The great japanese director kenji mizoguchi was born on this day in 1898. Kenji mizoguchi white city cinema a film blog with a.
Late mizoguchi eight films 19511956 masters of cinema dvd. Life of oharu saikaku ichidai onna, 1952, writerdirector kenji mizoguchis grim tale of a womans tragic fall in feudal japanese society, is based on 17th century author ihara saikakus sensational novel about an amorous woman and her varied experiences of that time. A geisha 1953 kenji mizoguchi, michiyo kogure, ayako. The life of a film director, a 150minute documentary from 1975 is included with this release of ugetsu which is very interesting. They shake and move the viewer by the power, refinement and compassion with which they confront human suffering. In these four lacerating works of social consciousnesstwo prewar osaka elegy, sisters of the gion, two postwar women of the night, street of shamemizoguchi introduces. Forget the consensus top 50 greatest movies of all time. The life of a film director aru eigakantoku no shogai is a 1975 japanese documentary film on the life and works of director kenji mizoguchi, directed by kaneto shindo onibaba. Mizoguchis film career, which began in 1923, spanned the silent era and sound films, continued under imperialist rule 19301945 and the american occupation 19451952, but gained world attention only in the last four years of his life.
Kenji mizoguchi completed the triumvirate of highly successful japanese directors who introduced japanese film to the west in the 1950s, alongside yasujiro ozu and akira kurosawa. Documentary shot over two years recounts the masters life and career across some 36 interviews with actors, producers and crew members from his films. In spite of the everincreasing popularity of downloading and streaming with their. Kenji mizoguchi was born into a modest middleclass family. He is, according to the yomiuri shimbun regarded as the dean of japanese filmmaking. With takako irie, daisuke ito, kyoko kagawa, matsutaro kawaguchi. Kenji mizoguchis films include ugetsu, sansho the bailiff, the life of oharu, the crucified lovers. Kinoyu tanaka is simply wondrous as oharu, she is oharu, she is graceful even in oharus most miserable moments. Mizoguchis greatest decade the life of oharu saikaku ichidai onna japan, 1952, kenji mizoguchi we begin our mizoguchi retrospective with the film that the director himself regarded as his masterpiece. A soulcrushing tragedy brought to life by kenji mizoguchi, the legendary japanese director who is known, and therefore loved and admired for infusing beauty into the tragedy. Kenji mizoguchi director biography madman entertainment. The war ended too quickly and in 1905 the family was left destitute, with kenji s sister given up for adoption to help cope. 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.