Ugetsu
Encyclopedia
Ugetsu is a 1953 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
. Set in 16th century Japan, it stars Masayuki Mori
and Machiko Kyō
, and is inspired by short stories by Ueda Akinari
and Guy de Maupassant
. It is one of Mizoguchi's most celebrated films, regarded by critics as a masterwork of Japanese cinema, a definitive piece during Japan's Golden Age of Film.
The film's original Japanese title is Ugetsu monogatari (雨月物語), which means "Tales of the Moon and Rain
", sometimes translated as "Tales of Moonlight and Rain" or "Tales Of The Pale And Silvery Moon After The Rain". The title was shortened when the film was released in the United States.
in Ōmi Province
in the late 16th century. It revolves around two peasant couples – Genjurō and Miyagi, Tōbei and Ohama – who are uprooted as Shibata Katsuie
's army sweeps through their farming village, Nakanogō.
, accompanied by Tōbei.
, follows him to assist in selling his pots. At the village their wares are sold, and they receive a surprising amount of money, as it is a time of war and soldiers need the pots to carry supplies and food. Tōbei sees a warrior and begs to become his assistant. Tōbei is ridiculed and told he can never be a warrior unless he gets his own spear
and armor.
When Genjurō arrives, his wife is surprised to see all the money he has made. With some of the money, Genjurō has purchased a modest kimono
for Miyagi. She loves her much longed-for gift, but stresses to Genjurō she loves the gift because of his kindness and not because of the item itself. She does not want him to return to the village to sell more pots and wishes that they remain a happy family.
Later, Tōbei arrives, disgraced and, as Ohama says, looking like a beggar.
Genjurō, set on making a larger profit during the next trip to Nagahama
, works long hours to finish his pottery. After he snaps at his son Genichi for interrupting, Miyagi, who is helping him, tells him he is a changed man.
Tōbei helps Genjurō load his pots into his home kiln, with the promise of a third of the profits. The two men fall asleep by the kiln, exhausted. Their wives worry that they have put their hopes and dreams in the kiln as well and fear what will happen if the pottery is lost.
Eventually Genjurō, Miyagi, Genichi and Ohama escape into the woods, but Tōbei stays behind. He attempts to steal a samurai's armor, but fails and goes to the woods. Though Genjurō is sure that Tōbei was taken for forced labor, he comes back to tend the fire of the kiln, but finds the fire has gone out. Miyagi follows to coax him back into the safety of the woods. Soldiers search, but do not find Genjurō or his wife.
Distraught, Genjurō and Miyagi pull some pieces of pottery from the kiln and rejoice when they find the pottery not ruined, as they had supposed, but ready to sell.
Ohama, the daughter of a boatman, sings as she rows an abandoned boat across the lake.
," whispers the beaten man. Leaning forward for a drink, the man tells them he was attacked by pirates, warns them back to their homes, then falling into his boat, dies. Genjurō and Tōbei push the boat away, murmuring prayer
s for the man.
.
d by a group of soldiers. As the soldiers leave her in torn clothing, one soldier further dishonors her by throwing some coins at her feet as he leaves. She stumbles outside and curses them and her foolish husband.
.
, and then invites Genjurō to his home where he paints Buddhist prayers on his body.
Miyagi's spirit tells Genjurō: "I am always with you".
in 1953. The film appeared in Sight and Sound magazine's top ten critics poll of the greatest movies ever made, which is held once every decade, in 1962 and 1972. In 2000, The Village Voice
newspaper ranked Ugetsu at #29 on their list of the 100 best films of the 20th century.
On November 8, 2005, Ugetsu became available for the first time on Region 1
DVD
when The Criterion Collection
released a 2-disc edition of the film, which includes numerous special features such as a 150-minute documentary on Mizoguchi directed by Kaneto Shindo
. The boxset also includes a booklet with an essay and three short stories from which the film draws inspiration: Akinari Ueda's "The House in the Thicket" and "A Serpent's Lust", and Guy de Maupassant
's "How He Got the Legion of Honor".
On April 21, 2008 Ugetsu Monogatari became available in the UK for the first time on Region 2
DVD
released by Eureka Entertainment as part of their Masters of Cinema
series. The 2 x disc special edition containing new transfers is released in a double pack which twins it with Oyu-Sama (Miss Oyu
, 1951).
The box set includes a 64 page booklet, featuring writing by Keiko I. McDonald (author of Mizoguchi and editor of Ugetsu) and award-winning translations of Ueda Akinari’s "The Reed-Choked House" and "A Serpent’s Lust", tales adapted by Mizoguchi in Ugetsu Monogatari.
Video lectures on Ugetsu Monogatari and Oyu-sama given by Tony Rayns
, an expert on the cinema of the Far East, are included in this edition.
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...
. Set in 16th century Japan, it stars Masayuki Mori
Masayuki Mori (actor)
was a Japanese actor, the son of Takeo Arishima, a Japanese novelist active during the late Meiji and Taishō periods. Mori appeared in many of Akira Kurosawa's films such as Rashomon and The Idiot...
and Machiko Kyō
Machiko Kyo
is a Japanese actress whose film work occurred primarily during the 1950s. She rose to extraordinary domestic praise in Japan for her work in two of the greatest Japanese films of the 20th century, Akira Kurosawa's Rashōmon and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu.Machiko trained to be a dancer before...
, and is inspired by short stories by Ueda Akinari
Ueda Akinari
Ueda Akinari or Ueda Shūsei was a Japanese author, scholar and waka poet, and a prominent literary figure in 18th century Japan...
and Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
. It is one of Mizoguchi's most celebrated films, regarded by critics as a masterwork of Japanese cinema, a definitive piece during Japan's Golden Age of Film.
The film's original Japanese title is Ugetsu monogatari (雨月物語), which means "Tales of the Moon and Rain
Tales of Moonlight and Rain
is a collection of nine independent stories, written by Ueda Akinari, first published in 1776, adapted from Chinese ghost stories. It is considered to be among the most important works of Japanese fiction of the 18th century, the middle of the Edo period...
", sometimes translated as "Tales of Moonlight and Rain" or "Tales Of The Pale And Silvery Moon After The Rain". The title was shortened when the film was released in the United States.
Nakanogō
Ugetsu is set in villages which line the shore of Lake BiwaLake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...
in Ōmi Province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
in the late 16th century. It revolves around two peasant couples – Genjurō and Miyagi, Tōbei and Ohama – who are uprooted as Shibata Katsuie
Shibata Katsuie
or was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.-Biography:Katsuie was born in the Shibata family, a branch of the Shiba clan . Note the differences between , , and the .Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu...
's army sweeps through their farming village, Nakanogō.
The husbands travel to Ōmizo marketplace
Genjurō, whose side business is the manufacture of earthenware pots, takes his wares by cart to nearby ŌmizoOmizo Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Ōmizo, Ōmi Province . It was ruled for the entirety of its history by the Wakebe clan...
, accompanied by Tōbei.
Tōbei tries to become a samurai
Tōbei, a man with hopes of becoming a samuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
, follows him to assist in selling his pots. At the village their wares are sold, and they receive a surprising amount of money, as it is a time of war and soldiers need the pots to carry supplies and food. Tōbei sees a warrior and begs to become his assistant. Tōbei is ridiculed and told he can never be a warrior unless he gets his own spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
and armor.
The husbands return home
Miyagi and Ohama await their husbands' return. A respected sage tells Miyagi to warn her husband Genjurō about seeking profit in time of upheaval, and to prepare for a probable attack on the village.When Genjurō arrives, his wife is surprised to see all the money he has made. With some of the money, Genjurō has purchased a modest kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
for Miyagi. She loves her much longed-for gift, but stresses to Genjurō she loves the gift because of his kindness and not because of the item itself. She does not want him to return to the village to sell more pots and wishes that they remain a happy family.
Later, Tōbei arrives, disgraced and, as Ohama says, looking like a beggar.
Genjurō, set on making a larger profit during the next trip to Nagahama
Nagahama, Shiga
is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. The city center was developed and renamed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi when Hideyoshi moved his center of administration from Odani Castle...
, works long hours to finish his pottery. After he snaps at his son Genichi for interrupting, Miyagi, who is helping him, tells him he is a changed man.
Tōbei helps Genjurō load his pots into his home kiln, with the promise of a third of the profits. The two men fall asleep by the kiln, exhausted. Their wives worry that they have put their hopes and dreams in the kiln as well and fear what will happen if the pottery is lost.
Soldiers attack
That night Nakanogō is attacked by soldiers. "Hide your women," shout villagers as they scatter into the woods. Genjurō refuses at first to leave the kiln, fearful the fire will go out, and tells Miyagi to prepare some rice for their escape into the woods, though it is too late.Eventually Genjurō, Miyagi, Genichi and Ohama escape into the woods, but Tōbei stays behind. He attempts to steal a samurai's armor, but fails and goes to the woods. Though Genjurō is sure that Tōbei was taken for forced labor, he comes back to tend the fire of the kiln, but finds the fire has gone out. Miyagi follows to coax him back into the safety of the woods. Soldiers search, but do not find Genjurō or his wife.
Distraught, Genjurō and Miyagi pull some pieces of pottery from the kiln and rejoice when they find the pottery not ruined, as they had supposed, but ready to sell.
The second marketplace
They decide to take the pots to a different marketplace across the lake.Ohama, the daughter of a boatman, sings as she rows an abandoned boat across the lake.
Warning
Out of the thick fog a boat appears. They fear the man laying prone in the boat is a river spirit. "I am not a ghostGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
," whispers the beaten man. Leaning forward for a drink, the man tells them he was attacked by pirates, warns them back to their homes, then falling into his boat, dies. Genjurō and Tōbei push the boat away, murmuring prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
s for the man.
Genjurō sends Miyagi back home
The two men decide to return their wives to the shore. Tōbei's wife refuses to go, saying she will help sell the pottery. Miyagi begs Genjurō not to leave her, but is left on the shore with their young son clasped to her back. Tōbei, Ohama, and Genjurō cross the lake and arrive at the marketplace.At the Nagahama marketplace
At market, Genjurō's pottery sells very well. After taking his promised share of the profits, Tōbei runs off to buy samurai armor. His wife, not wanting to lose their hard-earned money to Tōbei's dreams, pursues him but is unable to find him. Tōbei then buys a suit of armor and spear, and sneaks into the ranks of a clan of samuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
.
Ohama is assaulted
Lost from her companions, Ohama, exhausted, has wandered beyond Nagahama in her desperate search for Tōbei. She is rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by a group of soldiers. As the soldiers leave her in torn clothing, one soldier further dishonors her by throwing some coins at her feet as he leaves. She stumbles outside and curses them and her foolish husband.
Lady Wakasa
Genjurō is visited by a beautiful noblewoman and her female servant, who order several pieces of pottery and tell him to take them to the Kutsuki mansion. On his way, Genjurō stops at a kimono shop and dreams of buying his wife a bundle of kimonos. The noblewoman and servant find him there and offer to direct him to the mansion. The Kutsuki mansion lies in ruins, and during dinner Genjurō learns that soldiers have attacked the manor and killed all who lived there, except Lady Wakasa and her servants. A total of three in-house female servants wait on Lady Wakasa and Genjurō. He also learns that Lady Wakasa's father the Lord Kutsuki haunts the manor. Genjurō is seduced by Lady Wakasa, and she convinces him to marry her.Nakanogō attacked again by soldiers
Meanwhile, Nakanogō is under attack. Miyagi and her son hide from soldiers and are found by an elderly woman who hurries them to safety, pressing food into the mother's hands. Miyagi accepts the food and escapes into the woods with her son. In the woods, several soldiers, weak with hunger, desperately search her for food. "The food is for my son," she begs. She fights with the soldiers and is stabbed. She collapses with her son still clutching her back.Tōbei fights soldiers
Tōbei stalks a mortally wounded officer and adjutant that he has happened across. As he watches, the officer instructs his adjutant to behead him, presumably to restore his honor in the face of having failed to hold his ground (soldiers are seen retreating in the background). The adjutant, distraught, obliges and is immediately set upon by Tōbei, who spears him fatally and seizes the officer's head. Tōbei later presents the severed head to the commander of the victorious side, who recognizes it as that of the great general, Fuwa Katsushige. The commander doubts Tōbei's claim of having killed the officer with his own hands, but nevertheless rewards him with armor, a mount, and a retinueRetinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage, a suite of "retainers".-Etymology:...
.
A priest warns Genjurō
Genjurō has returned to Nagahama and is buying kimonos for his mistress Lady Wakasa. He does not have enough money for all of the items he wishes to purchase, and while bartering with the seller, mentions that he is staying at the Kutsuki mansion. The seller, suddenly rattled, pushes all of the goods across to Genjurō, telling him to take them and to leave. Confused, Genjurō makes his way back to the Kutsuki mansion, and on the way meets a priest who tells him that the mark of death is on him. He is told to return to his loved ones or certain death awaits him. When Genjurō mentions the noblewoman, the priest reveals that the noblewoman is dead and must be exorcisedExorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
, and then invites Genjurō to his home where he paints Buddhist prayers on his body.
Tōbei rescues Ohama
Tōbei rides into the marketplace on his new horse with several vassals flanking him. He is eager to return home to show his wife. However, he visits a brothel and finds his wife fighting with a customer over money. Shocked, he learns that she has been working at the brothel. She wishes to die, but could not do so until she saw Tōbei once more. Tōbei, distraught, promises to buy back her honor. Later, the two return to Nakanogō, Tōbei sans armor.Lady Wakasa revealed
Genjurō returns to the Kutsuki mansion. Lady Wakasa fawns over her gifts, then asks Genjurō to return with her to her native land. He refuses, and admits that he is married, has a child and wishes to return home. Lady Wakasa will not let him go, and again asks him to return with her. She attempts to touch him, but cries out and pulls away. Her servant rips his clothes from his back. The priest has drawn Buddhist prayers over Genjurō's body, which protect him. They admit they are spirits, returned to this world so that Lady Wakasa, who was slain before she knew love, could experience its joys. She tells him to wash away the symbols. Fearful, Genjurō reaches for a sword and swings it wildly around. He throws himself out of the manor and passes out. The next day, he is awakened by angry soldiers. They accuse him of stealing the sword, but he denies it, saying it is from the Kutsuki mansion. The soldiers laugh at him, saying the Kutsuki mansion was burned down over a month ago. They snatch his earnings and leave him, telling him that he's lucky because they're unable to imprison him. Genjurō arises and finds the ruined mansion he has lived in is nothing more than a pile of burnt wood.Genjurō returns home
Miyagi, delighted to see him, will not let him tell of his terrible mistake. Genjurō holds his sleeping son in his arms, and eventually lies down to sleep. The next morning, Genjurō wakes to the village chief knocking on his door. He is surprised to see Genjurō home, and expresses concern. He explains that he has been caring for Genjurō's son, and that the boy must have come to his old home in the middle of the night, somehow knowing Genjurō would return home. "The bond behind parent and child is strong," says the village chief. Genjurō calls for Miyagi. The neighbor asks if Genjurō is dreaming, saying his wife is dead.Miyagi's spirit tells Genjurō: "I am always with you".
Cast
- Masayuki MoriMasayuki Mori (actor)was a Japanese actor, the son of Takeo Arishima, a Japanese novelist active during the late Meiji and Taishō periods. Mori appeared in many of Akira Kurosawa's films such as Rashomon and The Idiot...
as Genjurō - Machiko KyōMachiko Kyois a Japanese actress whose film work occurred primarily during the 1950s. She rose to extraordinary domestic praise in Japan for her work in two of the greatest Japanese films of the 20th century, Akira Kurosawa's Rashōmon and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu.Machiko trained to be a dancer before...
as Lady Wakasa - Kinuyo TanakaKinuyo Tanakawas a Japanese actress and director.Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at an early age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929...
as Miyagi - Eitarō Ozawa as Tōbei (as Sakae Ozawa)
- Ikio Sawamura as Genichi
- Mitsuko Mito as Ohama
- Kikue Mōri as Ukon
- Ryōsuke Kagawa as Village Master
- Eigoro Onoe as Knight
- Saburo Date as Vassal
- Sugisaku Aoyama as Old Priest
- Reiko Kongo as Old Woman in Brothel
- Shozo Nanbu as Shinto Priest
- Ichirō Amano as Boatsman
- Kichijirō Ueda as Shop Owner
- Teruko Omi as Prostitute
- Keiko Koyanagi as Prostitute
- Mitsusaburō Ramon as Captain of Tamba Soldiers
- Jun Fujikawa as Lost Soldier
- Ryuuji Fukui as Lost Soldier
- Masayoshi Kikuno as Soldier
- Hajime Koshikawa
- Sugisaka Koyama as High Priest
- Ryuzaburo Mitsuoka as Soldier
- Koji Murata
- Fumihiko Yokoyama
Awards
Ugetsu won the Silver Lion Award for Best Direction at the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
in 1953. The film appeared in Sight and Sound magazine's top ten critics poll of the greatest movies ever made, which is held once every decade, in 1962 and 1972. In 2000, The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
newspaper ranked Ugetsu at #29 on their list of the 100 best films of the 20th century.
Availability
Ugetsu is now available for viewing on Huluplus, at hulu.com, and Netflix, at netflix.com.On November 8, 2005, Ugetsu became available for the first time on Region 1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
when The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
released a 2-disc edition of the film, which includes numerous special features such as a 150-minute documentary on Mizoguchi directed by Kaneto Shindo
Kaneto Shindo
, Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His best known films include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note.Shindō has often made films dealing with Hiroshima or the atomic bomb...
. The boxset also includes a booklet with an essay and three short stories from which the film draws inspiration: Akinari Ueda's "The House in the Thicket" and "A Serpent's Lust", and Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
's "How He Got the Legion of Honor".
On April 21, 2008 Ugetsu Monogatari became available in the UK for the first time on Region 2
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
released by Eureka Entertainment as part of their Masters of Cinema
Masters of Cinema
The Masters of Cinema organization began as a website dedicated to the most well-regarded film directors in the world. Founded by a diverse international group of like-minded film enthusiasts: Jan Bielawski, a mathematician; Doug Cummings, a graphic artist and freelance critic; Trond Trondsen, a Ph.D...
series. The 2 x disc special edition containing new transfers is released in a double pack which twins it with Oyu-Sama (Miss Oyu
Miss Oyu
is a 1951 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It is based on the 1932 novel by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki.- Cast :* Kinuyo Tanaka as Oyū Kayukawa* Nobuko Otowa as Shizu* Yuji Hori as Shinnosuke Seribashi* Kiyoko Hirai as Osumi...
, 1951).
The box set includes a 64 page booklet, featuring writing by Keiko I. McDonald (author of Mizoguchi and editor of Ugetsu) and award-winning translations of Ueda Akinari’s "The Reed-Choked House" and "A Serpent’s Lust", tales adapted by Mizoguchi in Ugetsu Monogatari.
Video lectures on Ugetsu Monogatari and Oyu-sama given by Tony Rayns
Tony Rayns
Antony Rayns is a British writer, commentator, film festival programmer and screenwriter. Much inspired in his youth by the films of Kenneth Anger, he wrote for the underground publication Cinema Rising before contributing to the Monthly Film Bulletin from the December 1970 issue until its demise...
, an expert on the cinema of the Far East, are included in this edition.
External links
- Criterion Collection essay by Phillip Lopate Ugetsu at the Japanese Movie Database
- Ugetsu Monogatari at Eureka Entertainment
- Review of Ugetsu Monogatari
- Ugetsu at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...