Ugetsu Monogatari

[poliphilo]

There are ghosts. There's a rape. There are several killings- one a beheading. Rampaging soldiers are on the loose, doing what rampaging soldiers do. But it's a very gentle film. The story flows over and past its sensational incidents like water over the pebbles in a stream bed. Mizoguchi's prime mode is compassion. He cares for his characters, he observes them, he keeps his distance.  

Comments

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

This is how an angel with a movie camera might picture the world.

Yeah, particularly all Machiko Kyo's scenes and the river crossing. It's always a lovely movie to watch.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I love how he does the supernatural without any camera tricks or special effects.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

I've never seen (or heard of!) this film, though I've read the book in the original Japanese. (Aha, a quick google indicates that it wasn't available till this century, long after I stopped being a Japanese expert.) I'll have to add it to my Netflix queue.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

It deviates quite a bit from the original story and it's fused with a Guy de Maupassant story, but the end result is very good. Though the Akinari half is much better than the Maupassant half.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I just treated myself to a box set of Mizoguchi movies.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Mizoguchi is amazing.