Ugetsu (1953)
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Writer: Matsutarô Kawaguchi
Actors: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Masayuki Mori, Eitarô Ozawa
One of my favorite aspects of watching movies is when you know something is special even without context. This happened to me with Ugetsu. Naturally, while finding films to watch I end up with a huge watch-list that keeps growing daily. I had already downloaded most of these films and made them available and ready to watch at any time. As I was going through these films, I picked one at random and Ugetsu came up. I knew I wanted to watch it because I had already made it ready for myself but I could not for the life of me remember why I wanted to see it. I thought not to check and just went straight through. I did not know about how Ugetsu was perceived by the critics or general film buffs, I just went in totally unbiased. As the story started to progress a thought ran into my head “wow that was such a beautiful shot”, or even “my god this is incredible framing”. Slowly but surely I knew that what I was witnessing was a masterpiece. Regardless of what history says, to me it was a film like no other.
Ugetsu follows a story of two brothers, although they stray off varying paths their stories are linked by the common thread of greed. This central theme is the pivotal aspect that not only drives the story forward but plays a big role in the visuals, myth, and also overall tone of the film. It is a harrowing portrayal of greed, one that can be easily caught by even the least observant. That’s not to say the theme is sloppily painted all over the plot without any nuance. On the contrary, it is so effective that it manages to grab the attention of those less prone to looking deep into subtext while also carrying a depth that can please even the harshest of critics.
Aside from the grand display of greed throughout every fiber of this film, one thing it managed to do incredibly was the visuals. Every scene felt like an ancient Japanese painting, where the visuals are saying more than a thousand words ever could. Two aspects of the visuals really elevate Ugetsu to mastery. The first is the way shots are framed. The careful placement of actors in relation to key objects was masterful. It paved the way for people such as Wes Anderson who is currently one of the few people who make movies in this style. Not only does the framing serve a visual benefit, but it also plays a key role in the story. When we see a conversation happening at the forefront by Ohama & Miyagi, you could see in the background Genjuro still scrambling to perfect his pottery. Although it may feel like a fleeting scene at the time, but these subtle details add so much to reinforce the strings of the central theme of greed. The second visual aspect that impressed me was the lighting. It is rare to find a film in the 50s that managed to utilize light in the way that Ugetsu did. The river scene had me floored. It is a sight to see, and all the more reason to go watch this film as soon as possible.
Ugetsu is a masterful piece of cinema. There are certain films in which their reputation is so large that you cannot avoid it. If someone was to go and watch 2001: A Space Odyssey or Citizen Kane, they wont need to figure out that these two films are highly revered. It is a known fact. With Ugetsu, I had no clue it was considered a masterpiece by people. However, I did not need to know that fact. The film spoke for itself. It gave me a visual experience that is very rare for a film of that era. It stands the test of time and still managed to bewilder me even with all of the incredible 21st century cinematography I have grown accustom to. It is a bleak look at greed, and how it is able to pull families apart even through times of war. It makes you contemplate how strong greed is. It humbles the viewer in ways that have such an impact that it’s message lingers in their minds for years to come.
9.8/10
Favorite Film
