Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Tadao Ikeda, Record of a Tenement Gentleman is the story of a woman who reluctantly takes care of a boy who has been abandoned as she is helped by friends during the era of post-war Japan. The film is among one of the first post-war film in Japan that explains the struggle of daily life as a boy is lost as he copes with his abandonment and the care of a woman who initially wanted nothing to do with him. Starring Chishu Ryu, Chouko Iida, Reikichi Kawamura, and Hohi Aoki. Record of a Tenement Gentleman is an intimate yet touching film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film revolves around the postwar life as a man comes home with a homeless boy who had been abandoned as the woman living at the house reluctantly takes him in. It’s a film with a simple story as it play into a woman living with two men as they struggle to make ends meet in rural Tokyo as one of them finds a boy who is lost as they have no idea what to do. The film’s screenplay doesn’t go for anything dramatic except in its second half as it’s more about this woman in O-tane (Chouko Iida) trying to sell things with the help of a street fortune teller in Tashiro (Chishu Ryu) and a repairman in Tamekichi (Reikichi Kawamura). Tashiro would be the one to find this boy named Kohei (Hohi Aoki) whose father had presumably abandoned him to find work in Tokyo. Tashiro and Tamekichi want to help but they feel that the boy is better suited in the care of O-tane who isn’t so sure if she is able to take care of him as she is frustrated with his stubbornness and the fact that he wets the futon he sleeps on. Still, she would grow to care for the boy as well as wonder where his father is and did he abandon his son on purpose.
Yasujiro Ozu’s direction definitely maintains that air of intimacy throughout the film as well as the fact that he eschews any form of style to create something that is simple and direct. While there are a few camera movements for a scene set on the beach, Ozu’s direction is often placed with some wide and medium shots for much of the film with very few close-ups as it’s all about the simple static shot. Ozu’s approach to compositions in the way he puts an actor into a frame as well as creating that sense of drama as it relates to O-tane’s relationship with Kohei who doesn’t say much throughout the film. The direction also play into moments where O-tane, Tashiro, and Tamekichi are having dinner with neighbors who had won some money from a lottery as it promises a sense of hope during this time of rebuilding. Yet, it’s something O-tane would want but she is forced to contend with reality as it relates to Kohei and his lack of education and social skills as she would be forced to make some realizations about the boy. Especially as Kohei would fulfill something O-tane had lost years ago as Kohei is in need of someone to guide him. Overall, Ozu crafts a very tender yet evocative film about a woman taking in an abandoned boy in postwar Japan.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it play into the gorgeous exteriors of the beaches in rural Tokyo with some lighting for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Yoshi Sugihara does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward to play into the dramatic elements of the film as well as some of the dramatic tension between O-tane and Kohei. Art director Tatsuo Hamada, with set decorators Shotaro Hashimoto and Mototsugu Komaki, does fantastic work with the look of the home of O-tane as well as some of the places around the neighborhood that is in ruin.
Costume designer Taizo Saito does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly straightforward including the tattered clothes of Kohei. The sound work of Yoshisaburo Senoo does terrific work with the sound as it is play into the natural setting of the locations as well as create something that isn’t totally artificial with the sound effects. The film’s music by Ichiro Saito is superb for its somber yet enchanting score filled with string instruments and lush orchestration to play into the drama as it’s a highlight of the film.
The film’s amazing cast feature some notable small roles from Takeshi Sakamoto as a friendly neighbor, Eiko Takamatsu as the neighbor’s wife, Taiji Tonoyama as a photographer, Hideko Mimura as Tamekichi’s daughter Yukiko, and Eitaro Ozawa as Kohei’s father. Hohi Aoki is superb as Kohei as a seven-year old boy who is quite sensitive and very quiet as he struggles with being abandoned by his father. Chishu Ryu is excellent as Toshiro as the street fortune teller who would find Kohei as he laments over what would happen to the boy. Mitsuko Yoshikawa is fantastic as Kiku as a friend of O-tane who is intrigued about Kohei as well as showing some kindness for the boy. Reikichi Kawamura is brilliant as Tamekuchi as a pot/pans mender who would watch over Kohei as well as expressing concern over how he would be treated. Finally, there’s Chouko Iida in a remarkable performance as O-tane as a widowed woman who sells anything she has in a poor part of Tokyo as she copes with taking care of a boy she isn’t fond of initially only to see the sadness in the boy.
Record of a Tenement Gentleman is a marvelous film from Yasujiro Ozu. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story, and dazzling visuals, the film is definitely a low-key yet engrossing drama that explores postwar life and how a woman would watch over a young boy abandoned by his own father. In the end, Record of a Tenement Gentleman is a sensational film from Yasujiro Ozu.
Yasujiro Ozu Films: (Sword of Penitence) – (Days of Youth) – Tokyo Chorus - I Was Born, But... - (Dragnet Girl) – Passing Fancy – (A Mother Should Be Loved) – A Story of Floating Weeds - (An Inn in Tokyo) – (The Only Son) – (What Did the Lady Forget?) – (Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family) – (There Was a Father) – (A Hen in the Wind) – Late Spring - Early Summer - (The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice) – Tokyo Story - Early Spring - Tokyo Twilight – (Equinox Flower) – Good Morning - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer – An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2017
(Played in Competition for the Palme d’Or at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival)
Based on the musical play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, The Crucified Lovers is the story of a wealthy man who accuses his wife and an employee of having an affair as the two run away together. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi and screenplay by Matsutaro Kawaguchi and Yoshikata Yoda, the film is an exploration of jealousy and neglect set in 17th Century Kyoto. Starring Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyoko Kagawa, Yoko Minamida, and Eitaro Shindo. The Crucified Lovers is a compelling and gripping film from Kenji Mizoguchi.
The film revolves around a wealthy but selfish scroll maker who would accuse his wife and his top employee of having an affair when the reality is that the wife needed money to pay her brother’s debts which the husband refuses to do as she turns to his top apprentice for help. It’s a film that is about a man who drives away his wife and his top man into chaos all because he doesn’t want to spend the money he makes and have it wasted on things he thinks are mindless. The film’s screenplay is quite simple as it explores a man’s greed and his unwillingness to help people as he would treat his wife cruelly as well as those who work for him as he would often try to engage into an affair with a young maid who has feelings for the top apprentice. The first half is about the trouble the wife in Osan (Kyoko Kagawa) would unfortunately create while the second half is about her and the apprentice Mohei (Kazuo Hasegawa) running away as they deal with what to do next as they’re being pursued by people working for Osan’s husband Ishun (Eitaro Shindo) who wants to deal with them himself rather than report them to the authorities.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s direction is definitely engaging for the way he captures life in 17th Century feudal-Japan where it’s run by warlords and such as there’s people willing to profit from these conflicts. Much of the film is shot in countryside locations in Japan as it plays into a world that is thriving yet there are rules that are quite cruel. Mizoguchi’s usage of the wide shots would capture this sense of oppression where there is a scene of a couple that is being shamed publicly and later crucified because they committed adultery which adds a sense of dramatic weight into the film. Yet, Mizoguchi would favor more intimate shots such as close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama which include these scenes at these lavish yet traditional Japanese homes as well in the forest where he would create a sense of theatricality into the acting as well as raise the stakes into what Osan and Mohei would endure. Especially in the third act as it play into not just the selfishness of Ishun finally catching up with him but the effects it would play into Osan and Mohei’s lives. Overall, Mizoguchi creates a riveting and haunting film about a wealthy man’s selfishness as he drives his wife and top apprentice into an affair.
Cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography for its usage of lights for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night while going for something more natural in the daytime scenes. Editor Kanji Sugawara does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the build of the dramatic intensity as well as in some of the moments of dramatic suspense. Production designer Hisakazu Tsuji, with set decorator Yaichi Ebise and art director Hiroshi Mizutani, does fantastic work with the look of the home of Ishun as well as his shop where he runs his scroll making business as well as some of the interior gardens. Costume designer Natsu Ito does wonderful work with the costumes from the design of the robes and clothes that the men and women wore in those times. The sound work of Iwao Otani is terrific for its natural approach to the sound as it help create some tension in the drama. The film’s music by Fumio Hayasaka and Tamezo Mochizuki is amazing for its unsettling yet enchanting score as its usage of percussions and string instruments help add weight to the drama as it is a major highlight of the film.
The film’s superb cast feature a few notable small roles from Haruo Tanaka as Osan’s brother, Yoko Minamida as the maid Otama who is in love with Mohei, and Eitaro Ozawa as the scroll maker manager Sukeemon as a man who would try to defuse the situation only to cause more trouble. Eitaro Shindo is excellent as Ishun as a wealthy owner of a scroll making business who is a man that is very selfish as he neglects his wife and is indifferent about the feeling of his workers as he would plot a way to deal with his wife and Mohei. Kazuo Hasegawa is brilliant as Mohei as a scroll-making apprentice who is good at his job until he is asked to help Osan into giving her money where everything goes wrong as he deals with his growing disdain towards Ishun and his feelings for Osan. Finally, there’s Kyoko Kagawa in an amazing performance as Osan as Ishun’s wife who is trying to help her family as she puts herself and Mohei into a terrible situation as she becomes angry over her husband’s insensitivity as she would try and make a life of her own only to realize how difficult it is.
The Crucified Lovers is a marvelous film from Kenji Mizoguchi. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a captivating script, and an eerie music score. It’s a film that explores Japanese society where everything is unruly during its feudal times as well as a woman dealing with the selfishness of her husband and the help of another man. In the end, The Crucified Lovers is a remarkable film from Kenji Mizoguchi.
Kenji Mizoguchi Films: (Tokyo March) - (The Water Magician) - (Aizo Toge) - (The Downfall of Ozen) - Osaka Elegy - (Sisters of the Gion) - (The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums) - The 47 Ronin (1941 film) - (Utamaro and his Five Women) - (The Love of the Actress Sumako) - (Portrait of Madame Yuki) - (Miss Oyu) - (The Lady of Musashino) - The Life of Oharu - Ugetsu - (A Geisha) - Sansho the Bailiff - (The Woman in the Rumor) - (Princess Yang Kwei-Fei) - (Tales of Taira Clan) - (Street of Shame)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the book Ugetsu Monogatari by Ueda Akinari, Ugetsu is a ghost story that follows the follies of men who are interested in ambitious deeds as it would affect the fate of their wives. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi and screenplay by Matsutaro Kawaguchi and Yoshikata Yoda, the film is an exploration into the world of two simple men who crave for something better only to realize what they lose as it plays into the rise-and-fall scenario. Starring Mayasuki Mori, Machiko Kyo, and Kinuyo Tanaka. Ugetsu is a hypnotic yet harrowing film from Kenji Mizoguchi.
Set in the late 16th Century during a war at the Omi Province in Japan, a farmer and his friend both have ambitions to give their wives a better life as the former hopes to be rich through pottery while the latter wants to become a samurai warrior. Both men would succeed in their ambitions but at great cost as the farmer finds himself entranced by a mysterious beauty while his friend achieves greatness only to realize his foolishness when he discovers what happened to his wife. It’s a film that explores the folly of ambition during a place in time where war is happening and chaos is rampant in small villages where the instincts of many villagers is to survive and evade pirates, bandits, and rag-tag soldiers. Unfortunately, two men become blinded by ambition that they lose sight of what is important.
The film’s screenplay definitely plays to the rise-and-fall scenario where the farmer Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) is eager to give his wife Miyagi (Kinuyo Tanaka) and their son Genichi (Ikio Sawamura) a better life as he sells some things with the help of his friend Tobei (Eitaro Ozawa) where they make some good money. Genjuro’s talent in pottery has him wanting to do more as he thinks there is more money to be made in this time of war. Miyagi isn’t so sure as is Tobei’s wife Ohama (Mitsuko Mito) who reluctantly joins Tobei and Genjuro to go across the lake to a town to sell Genjuro’s pottery. That would play into the fortunes that would happen in the second act where Genjuro is entranced by the mysterious Lady Wakasa (Machiko Kyo) while Tobei’s desire to become a samurai has him taking the money he’s made into buying armor and a spear where he unknowingly kills a top general during the war. Ohama would find herself trying to find Tobei only for her fate to go bad as she becomes dishonored.
The film’s second half would unveil the fallacy of the decision these two men made where Genjuro becomes entranced by Lady Wasaka unaware of what is happening to him. Even as he starts to forget about Miyagi who is back home with their son trying to survive in their ruined village from rag-tag soldiers. While much of the second half would play into Genjuro’s time with Lady Wasaka, the story does reveal what is happening to Miyagi, Ohama, and Tobei. Most notably Tobei as he becomes a top samurai warrior where he finds out what happened to Ohama as he learns the true meaning of what it is to be a samurai warrior. Eventually, tragedy does occur as well as the realization about what is to really be rich as the script would also have this element of fantasy vs. reality in its third act as it relates to Genjuro’s journey.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s direction is very entrancing in the way he presents the story in not just his framing but also in the simplicity that he tells the story. Notably as he uses the frame to capture the beauty of the locations near Lake Biwa where Mizoguchi uses some slow tracking shots to capture the beauty of the location as well as wide shots of the towns and villages that the characters encounter. Stilll, Mizoguchi maintains a sense of drama that occurs such as the scenes of the villagers hiding in the woods where he maintains that air of suspense that is happening. Even in the scene where the two couples and Genichi are in a boat in the lake where it would play into something very ominous about what might be ahead where they do turn back only for Genjuro and Tobei to make another attempt to take that route with Ohama’s help.
Much of the film’s second half would feature some unique compositions to play out the fates of the many characters in the film. Notably as it would delve into melodrama as far as the fates of Ohama and Miyagi are concerned while Tobei’s story is a bit of a black-comedy in how he stumbles his way into greatness only to become a drama when he finds out what happened to Ohama. Then there’s Genjuro’s story where Mizoguchi maintains this air of mystique in the way he presents Genjuro’s life with Lady Wasaka where there’s a beauty to the images that plays out but it adds to something that is quite off. Notably as it would reveal into what is really going on as well as the tragedy that is to happen. Overall, Mizoguchi creates a very visceral yet poignant drama about the folly of ambition.
Cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture the beauty of the locations while using some entrancing lighting schemes, with help from Kenichi Okamoto, to maintain that sense of brooding atmosphere at the home of Lady Wasaka. Editor Mitsuzo Miyata does excellent work with editing with the use of dissolves and transitional fade-outs to help structure the story while using some steady cuts to play out the film‘s drama. Art director Kisaku Ito does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the home of Lady Wasaka as well as the villages and towns the characters encounter.
The costumes by Shima Yoshimi is nice for the silk kimonos that Genjuro wants to get for Miyagi as well as the mysterious look of Lady Wasaka. Hair designer Ritsu Hanai and makeup artist Zenya Fukuyama do terrific work with the look of Lady Wasaka from her exotic makeup and hairstyle to represent the air of mystique about her. The sound work of Iwao Otani is superb for the intimacy that is created in the quieter moments along with the sounds of chaos in the scenes in the city and moments involving the soldiers. The film’s music by Fumio Hayasaka is brilliant for its ominous score with its mixture of heavy percussions and somber orchestral score blended with Japanese folk instruments to play up the melodrama and mystique in the film.
The film’s cast is remarkable as it features some notable small roles from Ryosuke Kagawa as the village chief, Ikio Sawamura as Genjuro and Miyagi’s young son Genichi, Sugisaku Aoyama as an old priest Genjuro meets late in the film, and Kikue Mori as Lady Wasaka’s aide who would play into Genjuro’s mind. Eitaro Ozawa is excellent as Tobei as a foolish man whose desire to become a samurai leads to a lot of trouble as he realizes the fallacies of his desires. Mitsuko Mito is wonderful as Tobei’s wife Ohama as a woman who tries to get Tobei to face reality only for his foolishness would get her into places that is horrific as she becomes dishonored.
Machiko Kyo is fantastic as Lady Wasaka as a woman of great beauty and mystique who definitely represents all the things that Genjuro could have but there is something about her that is off which adds a layer to Kyo’s performance. Kinuyo Tanaka is radiant as Miyagi as a woman who craves simpler things and tries to tell Genjuro that there’s no need for more as she later deals with his disappearance and face the dark reality of war. Finally, there’s Masayuki Mori in a marvelous performance as Genjuro as a man who wants to make a lot of money so his family wouldn’t be poor only to lose sight of what is really valuable when he meets Lady Wasaka as he becomes lost in a dark world.
Ugetsu is a phenomenal film from Kenji Mizoguchi that features top-notch performances from Masayuki Mori, Kinuyo Tanaka, and Machiko Kyo. The film is definitely an engrossing yet touching film about the folly of ambition as well as an exploration into how women become lost by the ambition of men. Especially as it takes a simple ghost fable into something more where it is presented in a troubling period in time when people are desperate to do good and escape poverty. In the end, Ugetsu is a spectacular film from Kenji Mizoguchi.
Kenji Mizoguchi Films: (Tokyo March) - (The Water Magician) - (Aizo Toge) - (The Downfall of Ozen) - Osaka Elegy - (Sisters of the Gion) - (The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums) - The 47 Ronin - (Utamaro and his Five Women) - (The Love of the Actress Sumako) - (Portrait of Madame Yuki) - (Miss Oyu) - (The Lady of Musashino) - The Life of Oharu - (A Geisha) - Sansho the Bailiff - (The Woman in the Rumor) - The Crucified Lovers - (Princess Yang Kwei-Fei) - (Tales of Taira Clan) - (Street of Shame)
© thevoid99 2013
