Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Ugetsu 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 24, 2025

Kenji Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1953) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include Kaneto Shindo's documentary film "Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director"; archival interviews with director Masahiro Shinoda, first assistant director Tokuzo Tanaka, and cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa; archival audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Tony Rayns; and more. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

16th century Japan, the Civil War. While gangs of warriors clash and raid villages across the country, the potter Genjuro (Masayuki Mori, When A Woman Ascends The Stairs, The Bad Sleep Well) works hard, hoping to get rich. His neighbor, Tobei (Eitaro Ozawa, Scandal, The Crucified Lovers), dreams of becoming a respected samurai, but does not have enough to buy a proper uniform.

One night, their village is also raided by a group of angry warriors. Genjuro, Tobei, and their wives manage to hide in the forest and quietly observe from afar the destruction of their homes. After the warriors leave, they gather the pots that could be sold and head to a nearby bazaar.

While crossing a lake, they spot a boat with a seriously wounded man in it. He tells them that he was attacked by pirates and urges them to go back. Then, he dies. Seriously concerned, Genjuro and Tobei decide to return their wives to the shore and then risk passing the lake. But only Genjuro’s wife, Miyagi (Kinuyo Tanaka, Ballad of Narayama), agrees to go back and look after their son. Tobei’s wife, Ohama (Mitsuko Mito, Flame of my Love), refuses to leave the boat.

The travelers reach the bazaar safe and sound. The place is busy and Genjuro’s pots sell well. At the end of the day, he is visited by an elegant woman, Lady Wakasa (Machiko Kyo, Floating Weeds, Street of Shame), and her servant, who offer to buy his last pots. To get paid, Genjuro must bring the pots to Lady Wakasa’s mansion.

As previously agreed, a small portion of the profit goes to Tobei, who sees a group of warriors passing through and immediately decides to buy a proper samurai uniform. With a bit of luck, he manages to buy one exactly like those worn by the soldiers and joins them. Alone and concerned about Tobei, Ohama starts looking for him. She is raped by a group of thugs not too far away from the bazaar.

Meanwhile, Genjuro arrives in Lady Wakasa’s mansion to collect his money. Much to his surprise, Lady Wakasa treats him like a nobleman and by the end of the night makes it clear that she has fallen in love with him.

Based on two ghost stories by Ueda Akinari, Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu Monogatari (which translates into English as Tales of the Rain and Moon) is a deeply atmospheric film that is practically impossible to describe with simple words. It is part Japanese period noir piece, part surrealist film with a strong anti-war message -- and a lot more.

The two stories the film tells are closely intertwined, and with reality and fantasy overlapping in both, the atmosphere is indeed quite unusual. The film is unquestionably critical towards the feudal order which has created the monsters Genjuro, Tobei, and their wives must dodge, but also fascinated by it. As they travel through the countryside, the camera often seeks and captures beauty in the midst of tragic events.

The film is a prime example of Mizoguchi’s vision of cinema -- it is composed of long and notably elegant shots. In Mizoguchi’s films, the camera is never a static observer; it constantly moves, seeking the action rather than anticipating it. (Yasujiro Ozu’s approach to filming was the opposite of it. In his films, the camera routinely remains a passive observer).

*In 1953, Ugetsu Monogatari earned Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White (Tadaoto Kainosho) and won Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Ugetsu 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Ugetsu is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

The 4K restoration of Ugetsu made its high-definition debut with this Blu-ray release in 2017. On the 4K Blu-ray, the same 4K restoration can be viewed in its native resolution without Dolby Vision and HDR grades.

I think that this 4K restoration is very good. I have a couple of other releases of Ugetsu in my library -- Blu-rays and DVDs -- and they all have different small and bigger issues that give the film an undeniable dated appearance. The 4K restoration retains some source limitations, such as minor density fluctuations, small image instability, and less-than-optimal darker nuances, but it produces visuals that have strong organic qualities. Also, the 4K restoration has the best density levels of all presentations that I have seen to date. So, how does it look in native 4K? Are there enough meaningful improvements to consider an upgrade if you already have the previous Blu-ray release of it? On my system, I could clearly see meaningful improvements in delineation and depth. However, they are not present throughout the entire film because of the inherited limitations that are mentioned above. In some areas, like the one where the big boat emerges from the fog, these improvements, while still possible to appreciate, are not big. Elsewhere, during daylight footage, the improvements are quite obvious. If you have a large screen, you should expect to see an improvement in picture quality that is similar, often even identical, to the one the recent 4K Blu-ray release of Seven Samurai offered. Of course, you need to keep in mind that both films and their respective 4K restorations have unique source limitations. The grayscale is very good. Some darker areas have small fluctuations affecting the consistency of the blacks, but this is the healthiest and most convincing grayscale the film has been given. The surface of the visuals is not plagued by large cuts, marks, debris, stains, etc. All in all, if you have a large screen and want the best possible presentation of this film, you should consider an upgrade. My score is 4.75/5.00.

Ugetsu 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: Japanese LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Like most early post-war Japanese films, Ugetsu does not have a soundtrack that produces a great deal of excitement. Its dynamic range is limited, occasionally even somewhat lacking in some areas, like depth and sharpness. However, this is how the soundtrack was finalized, so these are the qualities the lossless track reproduces. While revisiting the film in 4K, I again noticed some sporadic thinning, usually in the mid-range, but it never became distracting. The English translation is excellent.

Ugetsu 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary with filmmaker, critic, and festival programmer Tony Rayns initially appeared on Criterion's DVD release of Ugetsu Monogatari. It was recorded in New York City in 2005.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary with filmmaker, critic, and festival programmer Tony Rayns initially appeared on Criterion's DVD release of Ugetsu Monogatari. It was recorded in New York City in 2005.

• Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (1975) - this outstanding archival documentary film, which was produced and directed by Kaneto Shindo (Kuroneko, The Naked Island), takes a closer look at the life and extraordinary legacy of director Kenji Muzoguchi. Included in are interviews with actors Yoshikata Yoda (The Life of Oharu), Kinuyo Tanaka (The Ballad of Narayama), Ayako Wakao (Red Angel), Kumeko Urabe (Ikiru), Machiko Kyo (Rashômon) and Takako Irie (Sanjuro), writer Masashige Narusawa (Street of Shame), art designer Masaru Arakawa (Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence), and producer Goro Kontaibo (No Time for Tears), amongst others. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (150 min).

• Interviews -
  
  1. Masahiro Shinoda - presented here is an archival video interview with Japanese director Masahiro Shinoda (Funeral Parade of Roses, Pale Flower) in which he discusses Ugetsu Monogatari and its unique narrative and visual style (with some very interesting comments about the manner in which reality is treated in the film). The interview was conducted in Tokyo in 2005. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (15 min).
  
  2. Tokuzo Tanaka - presented here is an archival video interview with the first assistant director of Ugetsu Monogatari, Tokuzo Tanaka, in which he recalls his work with director Kenji Mizoguchi, and discusses the manner in which the film interweaves Japanese and Eastern sensibilities and ideas as well as its production history. The interview was conducted in Tokyo in 2005. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (21 min).
  
  3. Kazuo Miyagawa - presented here is an archival interview with acclaimed Japanese cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa (Yojimbo, Rashômon, Sansho the Bailiff) in which he discusses his professional relationship with Kenji Mizoguchi and the shooting of Ugetsu Monogatari. The interview was conducted in 1992 for the Criterion laserdisc release of Ugetsu Monogatari. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (11 min).

• Trailer - original Japanese trailer for Ugetsu Monogatari. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

• Trailer - original incomplete Spanish trailer for Ugetsu Monogatari. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (2 min).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate and three short stories that influenced director Kenji Mizoguchi in making Ugetsu Monogatari.

Ugetsu 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kenji Mizoguchi's masterpiece, Ugetsu, was fully restored in 4K several years ago, and the 4K restoration was introduced on Blu-ray by Criterion. This upcoming combo pack gives you the opportunity to see 4K restoration in its native resolution on 4K Blu-ray. While I still think that the original Blu-ray release is very nice, my recommendation is to consider an upgrade if you have a large screen. On my system, I saw enough small and bigger improvements in quality to declare that the best presentation of Ugetsu can be had with the combo pack. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.