Ugetsu

Ugetsu (1954) is Kenji Mizoguchi's masterpiece and probably one of the finest Japanese films of all time in the hallowed company of Ozu's Tokyo Story and the best of Kurosawa. It may have been one of the first period films made that made a statement about contemporary society. In this film Mizoguchi was making a statement about the consequences of war as well as dangers of greed. However, as much as it is rooted in the realities of the lawless time of the civil wars before the Meiji restoration it is also a supernatural ghost story. There are some extraordinary cinematic scenes like the intro to the film that is a moving crane shot that unfolds like a scroll-70% of the film was shot from cranes with few close ups. Mizoguchi was also known as stickler for period details in regards to props and sets that needed to be accurate. The story was based on two short stories by Akinari Ueda ("The House In The Thicket" and "The Serpent's Lust") as well as one by Guy de Maupassant ("How He Got The Legion Of Honor")-incidentally both of these are included in the booklet in the Criterion Collection edition along with an original essay by Philliph Lopate. Some of the other features in the double-disc set are: new, restored high-definition digital transfer, audio commentary from Tony Rayns, Two Worlds Intertwined a 14 minute appreciation of the film by Japanese film maker Masahiro Shinoda, Process and Production a 20 minute video interview with Tokuzo Tanaka, first assistant director on the film, 10 minute interview with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa from 1992. The second disc is Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (1975) a 150 documentary by Kneto Shindo about Mizoguchi. I think it is required viewing for serious film goers.