Ugetsu

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Sarfaraz A Kenji Mizoguchi directed this Japanese fantasy movie. The story is based on Ueda Akinari's novel Ugetsu Monogatari from 1776. The film stars Masayuki Mori as Genjuro, Kinuyo Tanaka as Miyagi, Mitsuko Mito as Ohama, Eitaro Ozawa as Tobei, and Machiko Kyo as Lady Wakasa. The movie begins with a reference of a civil war in the early spring of the 16th century in the village near the Lake Biwa. Genjuro is a clay potter who lives with his devout and caring wife Miyagi and their little son, who is trying to sell his production during the raging civil war. He departs with his related neighbor, Tobei, who aspires to be a samurai against his wife's wishes. When Genjuro returns with a good amount of silver coins, he gets more eager to sell more. Despite the fact that the soldiers have wreaked havoc on the village by abducting men for forced labor, Genjuro and Tobei manage to take a chance and board a boat to go to the village with their wives. However, a boatman who has been fatally injured warns them to protect themselves and their wives from pirates. Ohama, Genjuro, and Tobei set out on their quest, leaving just Miyagi and her son on shore. Genjuro falls in love with Lady Wakasa, who coerces him into marrying her. With a remnant of troops, Tobei becomes a samurai after abandoning his wife and buying a samurai costume and weapons. Ohama, meanwhile, was raped and had to work at a brothel to make ends meet. However, Genjuro is informed that his new companion is actually a spirit. The introductory plot and narrative style of the Japanese classic have the ability to keep you watching. Every Japanese movie from the classic era that you watch and then hear about is hailed and said to have established the bar for the others to meet. Kurosawa was so impressed by Kenji's filmmaking that he was embraced by other Japanese filmmakers. An engaging masterpiece was created with only basic set design and clever fantasy story dramatization. The subject matter of the movie emphasizes material greed, selfish ambitions, betrayal, and negligence. The film depicts how these terrible aspirations ruin two harmonious families that might have prospered from the love of their wives, who only wanted care, attention, and time spent with their husbands. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/29/25 Full Review Laura S Best ghost story ever! WAYYYYY better than what American directors were doing at the time! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/17/25 Full Review g j Lavish sets and beautiful costumes are nevertheless hampered by fairly poor structure and pacing, and a hard-to-follow story. This is still vastly better than most contemporary American or British cinema. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/25 Full Review Lars N Beautiful to look at and interesting story, but slow. It doesn't quite reach the level of some of it's contemporaries like Woman in the Dune, Seven Samurai or Harakiri Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/01/25 Full Review Sam N Ugetsu is a hauntingly beautiful film, drenched in ethereal visuals and poignant tragedy. Mizoguchi weaves an allegory for post-WWII Japan, exposing the futility of greed and ambition born of war. While many Japanese films of the period look forward, drawing a line under Imperial Japan Ugetsu gazes back in sorrow and personal regret at actions that enabled the futile war and cultural traditions that culminated in the horrific bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ending the rule of the Imperial Crown. It’s mesmerising, profoundly affecting, and lingers like a ghostly memory. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/25 Full Review Albert D A towering classic of Japanese history and atmosphere! Watch it! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/16/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Ugetsu

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