Set in the midst of the Japanese Civil War, UGESTU tells the tale of two greedy men who risk the lives of their families for their own personal gains. Genjuro trades the life of a farmer to sell his pottery in the local townships, while Tobei foolishly fights to become a samurai to serve in the war. Their wives ask for nothing more than a simple life, but the men's selfish ambition leads them each to ruin. Kenji Mizoguchi's classic tale of karmic revenge is a masterpiece of modern art, and one of the defining films in the canon of Japanese cinema. The elegant cinematography and beautiful period setting show all of the same style and grace as the works of Akira Kurosawa, without whom the film might never have been made. It is built on the harrowing character drama between two families, and only lightly touches on the supernatural elements of the plot. While Mizoguchi sets the stage with his superb direction, it is the transcendent performances by the entire cast that draw the audience into their unfortunate circumstances. UGETSU is an exceptional human tragedy that is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made.
Rating: 10/10.
Movies like UGETSU:
THE VIRGIN SPRING, ONIBABA, KWAIDAN, SEVEN SAMURAI, THE SEVENTH SEAL, TOKYO STORY.
One of the most important Japanese films of the 1950's, possibly Mizoguchi's masterpiece.
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