Based on an 18th-century play that was originally written for Bunraku puppet theater and released with the title The Crucified Lovers in the U.S., A Story from Chikamatsu turns a drama of doomed lovers into a portrait of hypocrisy in feudal Japan. The plot involves Mohei (Kazuo Hasegawa), a loyal apprentice in the printing house of the wealthy Grand Scroll Master Ishin, and Osan (Kyoko Kagawa), the young wife of Ishin, who is in need of money to save her reckless brother from prison. The pair flee when they are accused of adultery, a crime punishable by death, but they are innocent while the rich and powerful Ishin is himself guilty of forcing himself on a young female servant—the most blatant example of the double standards at play in this cruel, unforgiving society. The great Japanese filmmaker Kenji Mizoguchi directed this tragic drama in the midst of a fertile creative period and it has been overshadowed by his masterpieces The Life of Oharu, Ugetsu, and Sansho the Bailiff. Mizoguchi's direction is sensitive and lyrical, from contrasting the earnest Mohei and Osan against the scheming figures in the bustling printing house, to the ominous beauty of the countryside as they fall in love while fleeing the merciless hands of feudal justice. A thankfully resurrected classic presented in a gorgeous Criterion edition, extras include an interview with actress Kagawa and an illustrated audio essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)
A Story from Chikamatsu
Criterion, 102 min., in Japanese w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99 Volume 34, Issue 2
A Story from Chikamatsu
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