Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Ugetsu Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 15, 2017

Winner of Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include two original trailers for the film; Kaneto Shindo's documentary film "Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director" (1975); archival interviews with Japanese director Masahiro Shinoda, first assistant director Tokuzo Tanaka, and acclaimed cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa; and audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Tony Rayns. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Phillip Lopate and three short stories that influenced director Kenji Mizoguchi in making Ugetsu Monogatari. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu Monogatari arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from a new 4K restoration that was undertaken by The Film Foundation. I did some direct comparisons with the Region-B release of the film that we reviewed in 2012 and can confirm that there are in fact some pretty substantial differences between the two. First, even though there are a few areas where small fluctuations are present, overall density is improved on the new release. Second, the color grading is better, and as a result there are entire segments where image balance is improved. In some cases, black crush that is visible on the previous release is eliminated; elsewhere the tonal balance is different and there are entirely new ranges of nuances and even highlights (you can compare screencapture #9 and screencapture #12 from our review of the previous release). Third, there are improvements in terms of image stability; the most obvious examples of edge instability that we addressed in the review of the Region-B release are essentially eliminated. Finally, it is very easy to tell that careful manual cleanup was performed because many of the small but noticeable scratches, flecks and vertical lines that are visible on the previous presentation of the film have been eliminated. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Ugetsu Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The lossless track has a limited dynamic range, but clarity is very good. However, while there is no distracting/thick background hiss, in the upper register some 'thinness' occasionally can be noticed. On the other hand, it appears that some additional cleanup and stabilization work was done because overall fluidity appears slightly better. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Ugetsu Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original Japanese trailer for Ugetsu Monogatari. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - original incomplete Spanish trailer for Ugetsu Monogatari. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• 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, 1080i).
  
  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, 1080i).
  
  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, 1080i).

• 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, 1080p).

• 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.
  
  1, Masaichi Nagata/Source stories
  2. Historical context/Visual syntax
  3. Art direction/Period detail
  4. Career overview
  5. Rivalry
  6. Ueda stories
  7. The scriptwriters
  8. Feminist melodramas
  9. Fumio/Hayasaka/Genjuro subjectivity
  10. Representing the supernatural
  11. Machiko Kyo/Harp music
  12. Eroticism
  13. Kazuo Miyagawa/Social critique
  14. Visual echoes/Mizoguchi and militarism
  15. Mizoguchi and militarism (cont.)/Maupassant
  16. Unifying the narrative strands
  17. Buddhist references/Front office interference
  18. Sequence shot/Kinuyo Tanaka
  19. Commercial considerations

• 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 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu Monogatari is rightfully considered one of the greatest films ever made. It is a deeply atmospheric and masterfully lensed film that blends flawlessly the real and the surreal, while delivering an important message. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a lovely recent 4K restoration of the film which was undertaken by The Film Foundation and offers a great selection of supplemental features, including an outstanding documentary film about the life and extraordinary legacy of director Kenji Muzoguchi that was produced and directed by Kaneto Shindo. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.