Ugetsu

Hailed by critics as one of the greatest films ever made, Kenji Mizoguchi's exquisite "gender tragedy" Ugetsu is set during Japan's violent 16th-century civil wars, a historical context well-suited to the director's compassionate perspective on the plight of women and the foibles of men. The story focuses on two brothers, Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) and Tobei (Sakae Ozawa), who leave their wives in order to pursue dreams of success and glory in Kyoto. Both are ultimately led astray by blind ambition, and their wives suffer tragic fates, as the film serves up a brutal and haunting mix of wartime realism and tonally delicate ghost story. Masterfully derived from short stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, Ugetsu is a challenging, yet deeply rewarding work of art featuring flawless performances by some of Japan's greatest actors (including Machiko Kyo, from Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon). DVD extras on this characteristically superb Criterion double-disc set include a well-prepared commentary by critic/filmmaker Tony Rayns on the first disc, as well as the 14-minute featurette "Two Worlds Intertwined" (in which director Masahiro Shinoda discusses how Mizoguchi's career and films have influenced his own work and Japanese culture in general), and interviews with Tokuzo Tanaka (first assistant director on Ugetsu) and cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. The second disc features Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director, a 150-minute 1975 documentary that occasionally bogs down in biographical minutia but nevertheless provides a thoroughly comprehensive survey of Mizoguchi's career, including interviews with nearly all of Mizoguchi's primary collaborators. Finally, a 72-page book contains a well-written appreciation of Ugetsu by critic Phillip Lopate, accompanied by three short stories that inspired the film. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (J. Shannon)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—June 27, 2017—Criterion, 97 min., in Japanese w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1953's Ugetsu is presented with an excellent transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary with filmmaker, critic, and festival programmer Tony Rayns, the 1975 documentary “Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director” (150 min.), interviews with first assistant director Tokuzo Tanaka (21 min.), filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda (15 min.), and cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (11 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate and three short stories that inspired the film. Bottom line: this Japanese classic sparkles on Blu-ray.]