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Ugetsu

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EntityQ1076605· pop 31· linked from 160 articles

Also known as Ugetsu monogatori

Ugetsu (雨月物語, Ugetsu Monogatari, lit. "Rain-moon tales") is a 1953 Japanese period fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. It is based on the stories "The House in the Thicket" and "The Lust of the White Serpent" from Ueda Akinari's 1776 book Ugetsu Monogatari, combining elements of the jidaigeki (period drama) genre with a ghost story.

Film · TMDB

8.0

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 destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

Released: 1953-03-2696 minDir: Kenji MizoguchiFantasy, Drama, Mystery

Cast

  • Machiko Kyō as Lady Wakasa
  • Mitsuko Mito as Ohama
  • Kinuyo Tanaka as Miyagi
  • Masayuki Mori as Genjurô
  • Eitarō Ozawa as Tôbei
  • Sugisaku Aoyama as Old Priest

Themes

  • japan
  • samurai
  • based on novel or book
  • greed
  • bigamy
  • tragedy
  • rural area
  • black and white
  • ghost
  • jidaigeki

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Ratings

IMDb

8.1/10

28,304 votes

Year
1953
Runtime
96 min
Genres
Drama, Fantasy, War

via IMDb

Key facts

Film.name
Ugetsu
Film.image
Ugetsu monogatari poster.jpg
Film.caption
Theatrical release poster
Film.director
Kenji Mizoguchi
Film.producer
Masaichi Nagata
Film.music
Fumio Hayasaka
Film.cinematography
Kazuo Miyagawa
Film.editing
Mitsuzō Miyata
Film.studio
Daiei Film
Film.distributor
Daiei Film
Film.runtime
96 minutes
Film.country
Japan
Film.language
Japanese

via Wikipedia infobox

Internet Archive

audio

Ugetsu

Listen at Internet Archive →

via archive.org

Wikidata facts

Duration
96
FilmAffinity ID
568981
Image
Machiko Kyō and Masayuki Mori in Ugetsu monogatori, 1953.jpg
Show 4 more facts
publication date
1954-09-07
title
雨月物語
review score
100%
Commons category
Ugetsu monogatori
Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

~22 min read

Article

18 sections
Contents
  • Plot
  • Cast
  • Production
  • Development
  • Casting
  • Filming
  • Music
  • Themes
  • Release
  • Home media
  • Reception
  • Critical reception
  • Accolades
  • Legacy
  • See also
  • References
  • Bibliography
  • External links

Ugetsu (雨月物語, Ugetsu Monogatari, lit. "Rain-moon tales") is a 1953 Japanese period fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. It is based on the stories "The House in the Thicket" and "The Lust of the White Serpent" from Ueda Akinari's 1776 book Ugetsu Monogatari, combining elements of the jidaigeki (period drama) genre with a ghost story.

Drawing from Ueda's tales, the film is set in Japan's civil war–torn Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600). In a small rural community, a potter leaves his wife and young son behind to make money selling pottery and ends up being seduced by a spirit that makes him forget all about his family. A subplot, inspired by Guy de Maupassant's 1883 short story "How He Got the Legion of Honor" ("Décoré !"), involves his brother-in-law, who dreams of becoming a samurai and chases this goal at the unintended expense of his wife.

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