Ugetsu

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Ugetsu

1953

1h 36m

Fantasy

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100%

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34 Reviews

93%

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5,000+ Ratings

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) and Tobei (Sakae Ozawa) sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa (Machiko Kyō), as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi (Kinuyo Tanaka) and Ohama (Mitsuko Mito).

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Critics Consensus

With its thought-provoking themes, rich atmosphere, and brilliant direction, Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu monogatari is a towering classic of world cinema.

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Jonas Mekas

Village Voice

04/20/2022

Ugetsu, with its many adventures and accidents and stories, is a well-constructed work of art, growing out of a sense of drama.

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Alan Scherstuhl

Village Voice

02/28/2017

With rare humanity, Mizoguchi reveals the toll these misadventures take on the souls of both men and their wives, many moments an uncanny synthesis of the realistic and the otherworldly.

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Variety Staff

Variety

09/16/2008

Tale of two men in seething 16th-century Japan has a color and panorama which makes this absorbing film fare.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Apr 18

... always-connected digital communication that we live in, there’s a belief that one must be seen in order to be real and being seen must be shuffled through a myriad of filters before clicking publish, the message from 1953 remains a poignant one.

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Penelope Gilliatt

Observer (UK)

03/05/2024

Mizoguchi was trained as a painter, and his deep-focus shots often remind one of a Dutch interior.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

02/14/2022

4/4

Mizoguchi's blend of historicity, artistic refinement, and human observation combines with his rare embrace of the spiritual in Ugetsu, and its effect is entrancing, affecting, and unforgettable.

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Werner K

@wernerrrrr12 Jan 30

Tales of Moonlight and rain. Do you know? A great Japanese ghost movie!

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Fumi A

@Lordoflords Jan 30

Literally the best Japanese movie ever made. Mizguchi was a master. My most highest recommendation for this film!

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Virgo V

@vision Aug 3

Ugetsu (Ugetsu Monogatari, literally Rain-moon tales) is a 1953 Japanese period fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It is based on the stories "The House in the Thicket" and "The Lust of the White Serpent" from Ueda Akinari's 1776 book Ugetsu Monogatari. It stars Machiko Kyō, Mitsuko Mito, Kinuyo Tanaka, Masayuki Mori and Sakae Ozawa. It was distributed and produced by Daiei Film Company Limited. The film won the Silver Lion Award at the 1953 Venice Film Festival. The film won the Best Sound Recording award at the Mainchi Film Awards, along with Best Art Direction. Ugetsu is one of Mizoguchi's most celebrated films, regarded by critics as a masterpiece of Japanese cinema, credited with simultaneously helping to popularize Japanese cinema in the West and influencing later Japanese film. Vision wrote: “a potter leaves his wife and young son behind to make money selling pottery and ends up being seduced by a spirit that makes him forget all about his family. The war drove him mad with ambition. The escapades of a wannabe samurai. When all is lost, one must be found. His delusion comes to an end. From pottery maker to samurai and back to pottery maker. A Japanese civil war-torn film. A subplot inspired by Guy de Maupassant's 1883 short story "How He Got the Legion of Honor" involves him dreaming of becoming a samurai and chases this goal at the expense of his wife. I admired the background music and sound. Two and a half fries for direction and production.”

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Lau S

@LaurainSilentill Jul 29

Great Japanese movie! I little bit outdated, but I liked it!

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Madoka A

Jun 23

Fantastic. Spooky. Funny. Great product! Really good!

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All L

May 24

Weird but amazing Japanese movie!

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Kenji Mizoguchi

Director

Machiko Kyō

Lady Wakasa

Masayuki Mori

Genjurô

Kinuyo Tanaka

Miyagi

Sakae Ozawa

To^bei

Ikio Sawamura

Genichi

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Synopsis

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) and Tobei (Sakae Ozawa) sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa (Machiko Kyō), as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi (Kinuyo Tanaka) and Ohama (Mitsuko Mito).

Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Producer: Masaichi Nagata
Screenwriter: Matsutarô Kawaguchi
Distributor: Criterion Collection, Video Yesteryear, Edward Harrison [us]
Production Co: Daiei Studios
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 7, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 36m

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