Phillip Lopate on Kenji Mizoguchi’s Portrayal of Women
HomePhillip Lopate on Kenji Mizoguchi’s Portrayal of Women
Posted September 16, 2016 04:52 PM by Webmaster
The Criterion Collection has released a clip from an exclusive new video interview with critic Phillip Lopate, which is included on the new Blu-ray release of Japanese dierctor Kenji Mizoguchi's film The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
The Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration which was completed by Shochiku Co., Ltd., at IMAGICA Corporation in Tokyo.
Synopsis: This heartrending masterpiece by Kenji Mizoguchi about the give-and-take between life and art marked the director's first use of the hypnotic long takes and eloquent camera movements that would come to define his films. The adopted son of legendary kabuki actor Kikunosuke (Shotaro Hanayagi), who is striving to achieve stardom by mastering female roles, turns to his infant brother's wet nurse (Kakuko Mori) for support and affection—and she soon gives up everything for her beloved's creative glory. Featuring fascinating glimpses behind the scenes of kabuki theater in the late nineteenth century, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is a critique of the oppression of women and the sacrifices required of them, and the pinnacle of Mizoguchi's early career.
The Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration which was completed by Shochiku Co., Ltd., at IMAGICA Corporation in Tokyo.
Synopsis: This heartrending masterpiece by Kenji Mizoguchi about the give-and-take between life and art marked the director's first use of the hypnotic long takes and eloquent camera movements that would come to define his films. The adopted son of legendary kabuki actor Kikunosuke (Shotaro Hanayagi), who is striving to achieve stardom by mastering female roles, turns to his infant brother's wet nurse (Kakuko Mori) for support and affection—and she soon gives up everything for her beloved's creative glory. Featuring fascinating glimpses behind the scenes of kabuki theater in the late nineteenth century, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is a critique of the oppression of women and the sacrifices required of them, and the pinnacle of Mizoguchi's early career.
