Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi (May 16, 1898 – August 24, 1956) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu (1953) 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. "His films have an extraordinar... more
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Ugetsu
(1953)
Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroyin...
Runtime:
96 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō, Kinuyo Tanaka, Eitarō Ozawa, Ikio Sawamura
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Sansho the Bailiff
(1954)
Drama
In medieval Japan a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Runtime:
124 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyōko Kagawa, Eitarō Shindō, Akitake Kôno
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The Life of Oharu
(1952)
Drama
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of the society.
Runtime:
136 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirô Sugai, Toshirō Mifune, Toshiaki Konoe
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Street of Shame
(1956)
Drama
The personal tales of various sex workers who occupy a Japanese brothel.
Runtime:
87 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Machiko Kyô, Aiko Mimasu, Ayako Wakao, Michiyo Kogure, Kumeko Urabe
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The Crucified Lovers
(1954)
Drama, Romance
In 17th century Kyoto, Osan is married to Ishun, a wealthy miserly scroll-maker. When Osan is falsely accused of having an affair with the best worker, Mohei, the pair flee the city and declare their love for each other. Ishun orders his men to find them, and separate them to avoid public humiliation.
Runtime:
102 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô, Eitarô Ozawa, Yôko Minamida
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The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum
(1939)
Drama, Romance
In late 19th century Tokyo, Kikunosuke Onoue, the adopted son of a legendary actor, himself an actor specializing in female roles, discovers that he is only praised for his acting due to his status as his father's heir. Devastated by this, he turns to Otoku, a servant of his family, for comfort, and they fall in love. Kikunosuke become...
Runtime:
144 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Shôtarô Hanayagi, Kôkichi Takada, Gonjurô Kawarazaki, Kakuko Mori, Tokusaburo Arashi
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Sisters of the Gion
(1936)
Drama
Umekichi, a geisha in the Gion district of Kyoto, feels obliged to help her lover Furusawa when he asks to stay with her after becoming bankrupt and leaving his wife. However her younger sister Omocha tells her she is wasting her time and money on a loser. She thinks that they should both find wealthy patrons to support them. Omocha th...
Runtime:
69 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Isuzu Yamada, Yôko Umemura, Benkei Shiganoya, Eitarô Shindô, Taizô Fukami
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The 47 Ronin
(1941)
Drama, History
In 1701, Lord Takuminokami Asano has a feud with Lord Kira and he tries to kill Kira in the corridors of the Shogun's palace. The Shogun sentences Lord Asano to commit suppuku and deprives the palace and lands from his clan, but does not punish Lord Kira. Lord Asano's vassals leave the land and his samurais become ronin and want to see...
Runtime:
223 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Yoshizaburo Arashi, Utaemon Ichikawa, Daisuke Katô, Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kunitaro Kawarazaki
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Osaka Elegy
(1936)
Drama
Ayako becomes the mistress of her boss so she can pay her father's debt and prevent him from going to prison for embezzlement.
Runtime:
71 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Isuzu Yamada, Chiyoko Ôkura, Shinpachirô Asaka, Benkei Shiganoya, Yôko Umemura
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A Geisha
(1953)
Drama
In the post-war Gion district of Kyoto, the geisha Miyoharu agrees to apprentice the 16 year-old Eiko, whose mother was a former geisha who had just died. After a year of training they have to find a large sum of money before Eiko can debut. Miyoharu borrows the money from the tea-house owner, Okimi, who in turn obtains the money from ...
Runtime:
85 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Michiyo Kogure, Ayako Wakao, Seizaburô Kawazu, Midori Komatsu, Sumao Ishihara
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Princess Yang Kwei Fei
(1955)
Drama, History, Romance
In eighth century China, the Emperor is grieving over the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their influence over the court. General An Lushan finds a distant relative working in their kitchen whom they groom to present to the Emperor. The Emperor falls in love wi...
Runtime:
98 min
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Miss Oyu
(1951)
Drama
Shinnosuke is introduced to Shizu as a prospective marriage partner, but he falls in love with her widowed sister Oyu. Convention forbids Oyu to marry because she has to raise her son as the head of her husband's family. Oyu convinces Shinnosuke and Shizu to marry so that she can remain close to Shinnosuke.
Runtime:
94 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Nobuko Otowa, Yuji Hori, Kiyoko Hirai, Reiko Kongo
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Women of the Night
(1948)
Drama, Romance, Thriller
Fusako, a drug dealer's young mistress in postwar Japan, loses her tenuous grasp on life upon learning about her lover's affair.
Runtime:
74 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Sanae Takasugi, Kumeko Urabe, Tomie Tsunoda, Mitsuo Nagata
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Woman of Rumor
(1954)
Drama, Romance
Yukiko's fiance learns her mother runs a geisha house and ends their engagement. She despises what her mother does until one of her clients shows interest and starts to woo her.
Runtime:
83 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Tomoemon Otani, Yoshiko Kuga, Eitarô Shindô, Bontarô Miake
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Taira Clan Saga
(1955)
Drama
Special Forces commander Captain Tadamori returns to Kyoto after successfully defeating the uprising of pirates in the western sea of Japan. But because the high courtiers dislike career soldiers gaining power and influence, they ignore the will of ex-Emperor Toba and refuse to reward the captain. Reward recommender Lord Tokinobu is pu...
Runtime:
107 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizô Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Michiyo Kogure, Akitake Kôno
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Utamaro and His Five Women
(1946)
Drama
Utamaro, a great artist, lives to create portraits of beautiful women, and the brothels of Tokyo provide his models. A world of passion swirls around him, as the women in his life vie for lovers. And, occasionally, his art gets him into trouble.
Runtime:
94 min
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The Lady of Musashino
(1951)
Drama
Set in post-war Japan, The Lady of Musashino tells the story of Michiko, a disillusioned young woman trapped in a loveless marriage. She confides in her younger cousin, Tsutomo, and the two become close, but decide not to consummate their affair. He instead becomes involved with the flirtatious Tomiko, who is also conducting an affair ...
Runtime:
88 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
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Flame of My Love
(1949)
Drama, Romance
A woman's struggle for equality in Japan in the 1880s. Eiko Hirayama leaves Okayama for Tokyo, where she helps the fledgling Liberal Party and falls in love with its leader Kentaro Omoi, just as the party is being disbanded by the government.
Runtime:
84 min
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The Water Magician
(1933)
Crime, Drama, Romance
Taki no Shiraito is a very independent young woman with a famous water juggling act in a travelling carnival troupe. She falls in love with an orphaned carriage driver Kinya Murakoshi, and pledges to put him through law school in Tokyo. She always encloses money in her letters to him, until one hard winter there is no work to be found.
Runtime:
110 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi, Takumei Seiryo, Seiryo Takuaki
Cast:
Takako Irie, Tokihiko Okada, Ichirô Sugai, Bontarô Miake
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Portrait of Madame Yuki
(1950)
Drama
Hamako has just started working for her personal hero, Madame Yuki. Her romanticized view of the Madame is broken immediately, though, as she is introduced with a ever-growing list of the Madame’s personal problems.
Runtime:
88 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Michiyo Kogure, Ken Uehara, Eijirô Yanagi, Yoshiko Kuga
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The Love of the Actress Sumako
(1947)
Drama
The stage director Shimamura, who is bringing western theatre to Japan, falls in love with the outspoken actress Sumako Matsui, and leaves his family to be with her, while trying to keep his Art Theatre solvent.
Runtime:
96 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Kinuyo Tanaka, Sô Yamamura
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The Downfall of Osen
(1935)
Drama
In Tokyo, Osen is the servant girl of an unscrupulous antiques dealer, Kumazawa, who takes in the penniless Sokichi Hata. Kumazawa mistreats Sokichi and Osen, while swindling some Buddhist monks out of their temple treasures. When Kumazawa is arrested, Osen agrees to help Sokichi finance his dream of going to medical school. They live ...
Runtime:
87 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Isuzu Yamada, Daijirô Natsukawa, Mitsusaburô Ramon, Arata Shibata, Eiji Nakano
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The Sword
(1945)
Drama
Kiyone Sakurai, an apprentice swordmaker makes a sword for his guardian, Kozaemon Onoda. Onoda breaks the sword while defending his lord which eventually leads to his death at the hands of Naito, when Naito demands to marry his daughter Sasae. Sasae vows to avenge her father's death and pleads for Kiyone Sakurai to make a special sword...
Runtime:
65 min
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Tokyo March
(1929)
Drama, Romance
A classic melodramatic love tragedy addressing social inequality in feudal Japan, depicted in Kenji Mizoguchi's typical style. The nostalgic scenes of 1920s Tokyo provides a valuable visual experience set against the background of the title song, "Tokyo March." (Sadly, only 24 minutes of the film now survive.)
Runtime:
101 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
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Poppy
(1935)
Drama, Romance
Based on Soseki Natsume’s 1908 novel of the same title, Poppy is an ornately complicated story of desire and ambition. Fujio is beautiful, talented, well-heeled, and engaged to Munechika, a rising young diplomat. She has promised him a gold watch, a family heirloom, as an emblem of their engagement. But she falls in love with Ono, a st...
Runtime:
72 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Yukichi Iwata, Kasuke Koizumi, Kuniko Miyake, Daijirô Natsukawa, Tôichirô Negishi
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Oyuki the Virgin
(1935)
Drama
When a civil war threatens to break out, two geishas flee from their village with aristocrats. During the long journey, the socially inferior women prove to be morally superior to their betters.
Runtime:
78 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Komako Hara, Yoshisuke Koizumi, Eiji Nakano, Daijirô Natsukawa, Tôichirô Negishi
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Miyamoto Musashi
(1944)
Drama, History
The first of five Musashi series, Shinobu and her brother Genichiro plead with the famous swordsman Musashi Miyamoto to teach them swordsmanship to avenge their father's death. The killers of their father see the sister and brother practicing with Miyamoto, and so enlist the help of another powerful swordsman, Kojiro Sasaki, which give...
Runtime:
53 min
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The Straits of Love and Hate
(1937)
Drama
A story of a servant girl whose life is upturned by her doomed love for a spineless young man.
Runtime:
108 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Taizô Fukami, Akira Haruki, Kiyoshi Katô, Seizaburô Kawazu, Yutaka Mimasu
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Song of Home
(1925)
Drama
Mizoguchi’s 30th film is the earliest surviving example of his work, and his only film of the 1920s to survive complete. Song of Home finds the director already concerning himself with the collision of traditional and modern values. The film is structured around the contrast of two country-bred boys: a coach driver who has never left h...
Runtime:
50 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Sueko Ito, Kentaro Kawamata, Shigeru Kido, Shirô Kato, Hiromichi Kawata
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Yoshie Fujiwara's Hometown
(1930)
Drama, Romance
While returning by boat to Japan, Yoshie Fujiwara meets a rich woman who suggests him to become a singer thanks to an impresario friend of hers.
Runtime:
107 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Yoshie Fujiwara, Shizue Natsukawa, Fujiko Hamaguchi, Hirotoshi Murata, Heitaro Doi
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The Morning Sun Shines
(1929)
Documentary, Drama
The Morning Sun Shines is a fiction-documentary film by Kenji Mizoguchi and Seiichi Ina. The film is a combination of a drama about a reporter, and documentary footage about newspaper production. Only 25 minutes of footage has survived.
Runtime:
25 min
Director:
Seiichi Ina, Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Takako Irie, Susumu Minobe, Kôju Murata, Eiji Nakano, Ranko Sawa
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Mistress of a Foreigner
(1930)
Tōjin Okichi is a 1930 film by Kenji Mizoguchi based on the novel by Gisaburo Juichiya. Only 4 minutes have survived. The fragment has been published on DVD coupled with The Downfall of Osen (1935) by Digital MEME in 2007.
Runtime:
130 min
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The Passion of a Woman Teacher
(1926)
Drama, Horror, Romance
This film is about the curse of a jealous woman destroying the lovers on the run.
Runtime:
53 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Eiji Nakano, Yoshiko Okada, Yoneko Sakai
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Ah, My Hometown
(1938)
Drama
A village romantic drama. (Now lost.)
Runtime:
64 min
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Blood and Soul
(1923)
An Expressionist film about masses downtrodden by authoritarian capitalism. (Now lost.)
Runtime:
40 min
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast:
Harumi Ichikawa
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Smiling Earth
(1925)
Part 1 of 3 films.
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The Adventures of Arsène Lupin
(1980)
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Romance
An adaptation of the novel 813, in which the gentleman burglar competes to steal state papers and tries to uncover the identity of a terrifying murderer.
Runtime:
312 min
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Foggy Harbour
(1923)
Drama
An adaptation of Anna Christie, considered lost.
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And Yet They Go On
(1931)
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Released in 2 parts. His only release of 1931