Ugetsu

 

 

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Ugetsu is a film that separates itself from both period pieces of its time and from Japanese film of any era. It neither has the ferocious, exiting energy that Kurosawa successfully utilized, nor the slow mundane nature that Ozu became known for. Rather it attempts (successfully) to give a drawn out, slightly surrealistic atmosphere that exhibits images of lingering beauty throughout its short length. What drew me into the film deepest was the usage of not style or substance (if that makes sense), but rather these images that remained on your mind long after the film was finished. A sabotaged boat drifting away in the fog with nothing but a dead man aboard, an enchantress seduction of a naive peasant and a landscape dotted with danger and war, all make up some of the most beautiful images, that would not be out of place in a painting. They alone say more then most films do in their entire message.
The film nonetheless has some very impressive subject matter to its credit, dealing with war, greed and the line between reality and the spiritual world. Throughout the film we see two peasants progressively grow to lust for the riches of the world, Genjurô desires to sell his wares and become wealthy, while Tobei desires to be a samurai and have power. In time they both get to a point where this is a reality, where one of them fulfills what he desires, the other is led into a surrealistic haze by a demonic seductress. In the end the loss of what was important all along becomes apparent, and a message of humility becomes the films point.
Though it is not nearly as accessible a film as Kurosawas period pieces of the same time, Ugetsu succeeds on a level that they do not. It brings an element of sheer beauty I have not been acquainted with by any Japanese director. The camera moves much slower as to give you a sense of your surroundings, to allow the film to become part of you. In doing this Mizoguchi distances some viewers, while at the same time bringing many to a level impossible with any other director (Eastern or Western). He successfully does what all great artists do, he makes his art truly great and therefore truly subjective.
There is not a lot I can further say about this beautiful film except that it is best taken on an image by image base with the real plot as a second consideration. When one has experienced the images the plot becomes more meaningful, and the result is one of the most beautiful films one will ever witness. I gave Kenji Mizoguchis crowning achievement a deserving 10/10. Ugetsu is a beautiful flawless example of the cinema that I sincerely recommend.

This is a very beautiful movie. My favorite scene is where the potter and Lady Mikasa are having what looks like a picnic by the sea. I think it is the most beautiful composition I've ever seen in a movie. And he says "I didn't know life could be like this." Well I guess it can't, but its comforting to see beautiful things.

Despite some disturbing scenes and issues, this is a beautiful movie. It tells the story of how the search for money and glory can destroy true happiness. What makes the story work is a lot of different things. First of all, the acting is very good. Watching in in subtitles (there wasn't any other option) helped with appreciating this facet of the movie. The scenery and costumes were pretty good as well. The directing was what was the most outstanding. I confess that I have a problem with most modern movies in that they show a heavy dependance on modern technology and declining moral standards. This enables modern films to utilize two avenues of showing more and more which leaves less and less to the imagination. The talent on display in "Ugetsu" shows how directing at its' best was a true art form; greater, often, than the acting itself. There are several scenes that come to mind. As soldiers rape and pillage, there comes a scene of a gang rape of a woman. Everything we see on film makes it clear in our minds as to what has taken place. Yet the only clothing we see removed is a pair of sandals. Another scene involves an erotic encounter in which, again we understand clearly yet are not invited to watch. There are other scenes worthy of mention but I don't want to give anything away. The way this movie moves along is another testament to its' director; Kenji Mizoguchi.

On the negative side, this movie is currently only available on VHS. I confess to being frustrated with all of my Beta movies and now all of my VHS movies seeming to head towards obsolescence. However, I have come to appreciate the quality as well as the other features of DVD's. Thus I found myself immediately focussing on the occassional snap, crackle, and pop of the VHS quality. Still, once I was engrossed in the story (and that didn't take long to happen), it either ceased to bother me or the quality improved and the movie progressed.

There is a timeless message in this movie that will reach out to just about all viewers. It has to do with identifying our values and appreciating what we have rather than what we desire. Sounds like a message we've heard before but I'm not sure it's been presented quite so well before or since.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a fabulous film
Set in the 16th century, Ugetsu is the story of two impoverished families from a small village and the tragedy that befalls both as the male heads of the household seek selfish,... Read more

Published on Feb 16 2004 by K Scheffler

4.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable Piece Of Work
Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) makes pottery and dreams of the day he and his family will be rich. Tobei (Eitaro Ozawa) wants to become a samurai. Read more

Published on Jan 20 2004 by Alex Udvary

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Ghost Story
This is a beautifully shot movie. Mizoguchi is a great director of the plight of women in old Japan. Read more

Published on Jun 11 2003 by Yumi

5.0 out of 5 stars DVD PLEASE! One of the best films I've seen....
To me Ugetsu is the most hypnotic and well-developed example of Mizoguchi's style - he was working at his peak here. Read more

Published on Oct 29 2002 by David Alston

5.0 out of 5 stars Many memorable scenes
If you love Japanese movies, this is a must-have film. Mizoguchi was one of the world's best directors. Read more

Published on Jun 23 2002

3.0 out of 5 stars ok
This movie was not the "Masterpiece" that so many have called it. Sure there are a lot of beautiful scenes, but the acting was pretty overdone, at least as far as the... Read more

Published on Sep 10 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and hard to describe; a classic worth seeing
As much as I adore Kurosawa, I was very glad to get to see Ugetsu Monotagari. This is acknowledged as an enormous classic of Japanese film, but because of the cross-over of... Read more

Published on April 3 2001 by Joanna Daneman

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the greatest movie ever made
Eerie, spellbinding, mystical...Try though I might, it is difficult to convey in words how magical and powerful this movie is. Read more

Published on Jan 16 2001 by John B

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely haunting as well as peace message
I first saw this when I was a teenager. I wasn't able to understand the reason why Machiko would like this voice and it bothered me. Read more

Published on Jun 21 2000 by JAMES J CREMIN

5.0 out of 5 stars Kurosawa's equal....
It's sad to see how cruel time and history have been to Kenji Mizoguchi. Whenever the newcomer or uninformed is first exposed to great film, Kurosawa's name is often the first... Read more

Published on Jun 5 2000 by Carlos R. Pastrana

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