With no new Rob Marshall film due until Christmas, 2009, The Criterion Collection has kindly decided to help us through by releasing four films by Kenji Mizoguchi on its budget Eclipse label. Included in “Kenji Mizoguchi’s Fallen Women” are the great Japanese filmmaker’s twin masterpieces of 1936, “Osaka Elegy” and “Sisters of the Gion”; his postwar neorealist drama “Women of the Night” (1948); and his final film, the rough and confounding “Street of Shame” (1956). Details in the New York Times.
I was saddened to learn that Andrew Johnston, a gifted, enthusiastic film and television critic for “Time Out New York” and many other print and online publications, died on Sunday after a struggle with cancer. Keith Ulrich of The House Next Door (where Andrew covered “The Wire” and “Mad Men”) passes along word that there will be a memorial for Andrew on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 pm at the Harvard Club, 35 West 44th Street in New York City. He will be missed.
On moviegoing audiences in the ’50s, it’s not just about males/females but also a reflection of emerging teen culture”
I guess the most radical industrial disaster ever to occur in Hollywood was the advent of rockn’roll which suddenly lowered the productions standards so the studios could keep up with the demands. It created a sub genre, split the audiences in generations.
In 1952, the whole family would attend a screening of SINGIN IN THE RAIN, while in 57, parents would see SILK STOCKINS while the kids went to JAILHOUSE ROCK. That’s probably why I will always HATE rock music.
Dave, Kent, important to notice that American directors had an impact on Italian fillmmakers after the war. I mean, aren’t there seeds of neo-realisme in GRAPES OF WRATH, and even LOST WEEKEND, which I think had some impact on BICYCLE THIEVES ?
I’m thinking of the scene whre Milland walks looking for a drink. And of course you can connect this to MENSCHEN AM SONNTAG.
Kent, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD has been released here on dvd and it’s got some great location shooting. it’s an absolute marvel, and-pardon me- it’s as modern as anything Kazan or Ray directed in the forties, if not more. Joan Fontaine looks incredibly sexy and “east coast”. She is terrific. It’s such a moving film.
Brad, Michael has answered that question about TAKI NO SHIRAITO.
‘While this was true in the earliest days of Japanese movies, censorship soon reared its head (even before the run-up to the war against China). By the 20s, films could not be shown until their benshi scripts were approved, and (once approved) the scripts had to be followed to the letter. If a film was modified (or one wanted to make changes in the narration for any other reason), the approval process had to be gone through again.’
That’s true, but during Taisho law wasn’t always obeyed because hard to enforce. Japanese directors was always having problem with benshi system because benshi could change the story. Example, Ozu and Mizoguchi wanted to make the movie that didn’t need benshi narration. TAKI NO SHIRAITO doesn’t need benshi narration. By that movie, narrator wasn’t called benshi anymore, he was called setsumeisha meaning explainer.
Osanai Kaoru and Tanizaki Junichiro was against benshi system. Even after Film Law was amended there was the struggle by directors to make setsumeisha obey to keep to the script.
During benshi period there are example of popular benshi changing the movie story. Setsumeisha was supposed to explain only, could not say dialog, make comment, imitate sound effect,just explain, that’s all.
Tanaka sensei says benshi system was bad for development of Japanese movies, others from that period agreeing with him, including directors and Tanizaki and Osanai mentioned above. Today there is still sometimes the benshi performance made like it was before they became setsumeisha, but not good for great movies by Naruse, Ozu, Mizoguchi because they don’t need it.
> not good for great movies by Naruse, Ozu,
> Mizoguchi because they don’t need it.
I first encountered (utterly) silent silent cinema with New Yorker’s VHS release of Ozu’s “I Was Born But”. At first, I was very disconcerted by the lack of (audible) noise — but I eventually realized that Ozu’s film was so full of virtual noise (especially those trains roaring past every few minutes) that hearing actual sounds would be distracting (a theory that was confirmed when I finally heard this accompanied by music, when it was shown at the Harvard Film Archive).
I am now (mostly) convinced that these classic Japanese “silents” are indeed best seen with no accompaniment. All the same, I do enjoy the transitional films by Shimizu, which have synchronized sound and music but no spoken dialog.
Junko, I understand that some benshis were almost treated as stars in the 20′s. Is that true ? I remember seiing Orizuru Osen 10 years ago with a soundtrack narration: was that benshi or setsumeisha ?
‘I understand that some benshis were almost treated as stars in the 20’s. Is that true ? I remember seiing Orizuru Osen 10 years ago with a soundtrack narration: was that benshi or setsumeisha ?’
Yes, some benshi was most popular, and people going to see movie because it was the star benshi performing, not because of the movie.
Today, live performance is benshi and not setsumeisha, but original silent movie that has added the narration soundtrack is usually setsumeisha. ORIZURU OSEN soundtrack was like what Michael described about TAKI NO SHIRAITO from approved script, so it was setsumeisha narration.
Michael, what you said about Shimizu movie with music and sound effect I am agreeing with, because this was the wish of Shimizu to develope his movies.
Important foreign movie for Japanese directors and film industry was MOROCCO. To them at that time it was state of the art sound movie, so Japanese directors wanted to make a movie with sound that good.
At the time of MOROCCO Japanese critics and directors was thinking Sternberg is greatest director in the world because his earlier movies was the example for Japanese directors, and now MOROCCO was the example for sound movies.
> Japanese critics and directors was thinking
> Sternberg is greatest director in the world
> because his earlier movies was the example for
> Japanese directors
One wonders how different Japanese cinema would have been if “Docks of New York” had never been made. ;~}
Well, Junko, after watching a few Sternberg films lately, I think he might be one of the greatest directors in the world. What do you think of Sternberg’s “japanese” film, ANATHAN, which has actually a setsumeisha voice over. Do you think Sternberg was trying to do a “setsumeisha” approach to the film ?
Thanks very much for noting Andrew’s passing, Dave. He was a great talent and will be sorely missed.
Junko, your mention of Tanizaki got my attention. I’ve read and tremendously enjoyed several of his novels and stories but don’t know much about his life, and I had no idea he’d worked in film. I just looked up his Wikipedia page, which says:
“He had a brief career in Japanese silent cinema, working as a script writer for the Jun Eiga Ka, or ‘pure cinema movement’ where he was instrumental in bringing modernist themes to Japanese film. He wrote the scripts for the films Amateur Club (1922) and A Serpent’s Lust (1923) (based on the story of the same title by Ueda Akinari, which was, in part, the inspiration for Mizoguchi Kenji’s 1953 masterpiece Ugetsu monogatari).”
I’ve never heard of any of the films listed above (except Ugetsu, of course). Are the silent films Tanizaki worked on as a writer considered noteworthy ones in Japan? Did he ever return to screenwriting during the sound era? Was he known to be a cinephile, and did he ever publish any criticism or commentary on cinema?
‘What do you think of Sternberg’s “japanese” film, ANATHAN, which has actually a setsumeisha voice over. Do you think Sternberg was trying to do a “setsumeisha” approach to the film ?’
I think ANATAHAN is best movie made by a foreigner about Japanese subject. I believe completely that Sternberg had stesumeisha idea because Japanese version is the same but with Japanese narrator.
ANATAHAN is the great movie to me. I wish someone would find out what Sternebrg was thinking about Japan. He made the visit to Japan in 1936 and met many Japanese filmmakers and took tour of Shochiku Ofuna Studio and met Ozu, but in Kyoto he met with Mizoguchi for many hours talking about art and erotic prints. Yoda was there and describing it, and interperter was assistant to Kawakita Nagamasa also there. There was also newspaper interview with Sternberg, but what else he was thinking isn’t known, saying nothing in autobiography.
When making ANATAHAN many Japanese filmmakers visiting set in Kyoto, and he had luncheon with Ozu and Mizoguchi. But Sternberg wasn’t saying anything about this long visit. Maybe he wrote the letter to someone about it.
You are right Junko. I have a VHS copy of ANATHAN. You can’t find this film anywhere. You can find OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES or THE THREE STOOGES, but not one of the most valuable film ever made. Beats me….
Criterion perhaps ?
I watched BLONDE VENUS twice lately, and it’s so impeccable that it defies analysis. I can see why he fascinated Japanese filmmakers. Sternberg seems to be all about SURFACE, but it’s actually a way for him to talk about the inner depth of the characters. Therefore, nothing seems decorative or unfelt. Actually, there are similarities between Marlene’s sacrifice in BLONDE VENUS and the fate of some of Ozu and Mizoguchi’s heroines. What might have fascinated japanese directors is that the gloss, the glamour of Sternberg’s films reveal something so subtle, simple, and unformulated. Culturally, the japanese approach to visual detail as something taht doesnt’ reveal or show but rather conceals something is quite in sync with Sternberg. He’s the master of deep surface.
The best way to learn about about the Pure film Movement is to read Joanne Bernardi’s “Writing In Light”. Unfortunately, virtually all the films from this movement are long lost — including the Tanizaki-scripted films directed by Kisaburo (Thomas) Kurihara.
Tanizaki’s writings have served as the basis for a number of interesting classic Japanese movies. In addition to Mizoguchi’s Oyu-sama and three versions of Makioka Sisters, there is his neo-kabuki play Okuni and Gohei (surprisingly, an almost perfect vehicle for one of Mikio Naruse’s very rare historical films) and his Portrait of Shunkin (adapted several times — but probably most impressively by Yasujiro Shimazu in 1935). And then there is Kon Ichikawa’s Kagi and Yasuzo Masumura’s Manji…
‘Are the silent films Tanizaki worked on as a writer considered noteworthy ones in Japan? Did he ever return to screenwriting during the sound era? Was he known to be a cinephile, and did he ever publish any criticism or commentary on cinema?’
Tanizaki was cinephile, writing much about movies and wanting to develop Japanese movies. AMATEUR CLUB (title was English written in katakana) was important movie, but only script existing now. Kurihara Tomasu was director. It was comedy about amateur acting group making kabuki play, and was made with no professional actors. Tanizaki wanted the movie with no professional actors because he didn’t like acting style of movies at that time, it was not realistic to him. This was also movie made to be without benshi performance, so had title card instead. So this was the important movie in Japanese movie history.
Tanizaki was important to Pure Film Movement, writing many essays about making Japanese movies the important art for modern time. Pure Film Movement was part of Taisho Democracy movement. He was writing much film criticsm. But he was not writing screenplays during sound period, because he could not write the subjects he wanted because of authorites censoring them. Tanizaki did not like adaptations of his stories made then, like OKOTO TO SASAKE (1933) from SHUNKINSHO. When became possible after fascist period he did not want to write screenplays because he was writing theater plays instead. More to say about this interesting subject.
Junko –
Have you seen Shimazu’s “Okoto and Sasake”? I thought this was a very impressive film (even if Tanizaki didn’t care for it).
And I was suprised by Naruse’s “Okuni and Gohei” (which I sort of feared would be a dud).
‘Have you seen Shimazu’s “Okoto and Sasake”?’
Yes, I have seen it. It was bungei eiga genre, the movie made from important literature work. Not comparing to original Tanizaki story, it was interesting movie. But I understanding why Tanizaki did not like it, because it was easy version of complicated style. This movie was made in simple time order, and one character was left out of this version.
The better adaptation to me was Shindo version called SANKA, because it was using the complicated style and was like the meditation on Tanizaki original story with the similar purpose.
Thanks, Junko and Michael. Very informative. I just looked up the Joanne Bernardi book Michael mentioned, and it sounds fascinating. I wish someone would translate Tanizaki’s writing on film into English!
jean0piere,
1940′s noirs’ were, in Krutnik’s own terms just “tough Guy” thrillers. I find it far fetch to think that they were not made for or heavily viewed by guys, tough or not, who had, or hand had, a tough world to deal with. Th\he adequacy of the vet pool to sustain the noir genre (leavened as it was like all Hollywood genre’s with heterosexual romantic sideplots seems to me in little doubt either.
IT no nore matters for the existence of a Noir “vet” genre that most film goers were female than it mattered for the good sales of the macho aestheticism authors (DeLillo, W. Kennedy, Mailer and R. Stone –plus Doctorow, and roth at a less testosteroie fringe) wrote in a world o preponfderantly female fiction readers –not for the broad point
Of course, a radical skepticism buttress by a need for unavailable data — in the limit deconstructionist quantiphile!– might cloud any claim.
deconstructionist quantiphile
Alex: I probably overstated my point; I should have taken into account the obvious fact that those “tough guys thrillers” we now call “noir” had a sizeable enough audience so that the studios kept turning them out.I just meant to say that we know very little about the phenomenon of movie going as a socio-cultural activity. Did those men go to see those movies alone? With other men? With women? Did women go to see them alone or with other women or with men, or at all? How did they respond to them (as opposed to their response to more “female-oriented” fare?) We have no answer to such questions because of a lack of data, as you say. Is to point it out”radical skepticism”?
I wish I knew what “deconstructionist quantiphile” mean. Is it a putdown? Sounds like it.
I’d make a case for Ida Lupino’s first two directorial efforts, NOT WANTED (49) and NEVER FEAR (49) as Neo-Realist. Issue-oriented, filmed on location, on the cheap, gritty in tone, actors with little or no professional experience.
Other “neo realist” thrillers : the british BRIGHTON ROCK and THE BLUE LAMP, both with wonderful location shooting. We could add Mann’s SIDE STREET, Ray’s THEY LIVE BY NIGHT…
Junko, what did Tanizaki think of OYU-Sama ? It’s such an incredible film.
‘what did Tanizaki think of OYU-Sama ?’
He didn’t see it. He read screenplay, visited set, talked to actors and director. Tanizaki stopped seeing movies made from his stories by that time. OYU SAMA was great movie, but too late for Tanizaki, because he changed his mind about movies and was more interested in writing for theater.
There was good movies made from his books, but Tanizaki became stubborn about movies after the war. He made the serious mistake I think. But when he had the interest in movies he was saying many important things about possibilities of movies in Japan, making good suggestions, having good understanding of movies.
jean-pierre,
A bit of a put down, but too silly to break out beyond jesteven if so intended –especially in my mind as I am about to saunter over to the library to check out “American Directors, V.1 and V.2.”
We certainly do not have any definitive answer to that question.
Cheers!
Breaking News! What we have all been waiting for. THE BUDD BOETTICHER BOX SET with those long awaited Randolph Scott westerns will be released on Election Day!
The Wyler question brings up a dream i have long had about a reference book listing all the surviving silent films (particularly of major directors).
Does such a book exist?
Not much going on ! It must be Halloween plus election time !!!
Craig, you might take a look at Robert Klepper’s SILENT FILMS, 1877-1996. It’s not exactly what you’re looking for, but it does cover 646 silents.
My thanks to those contributing to this thread– my love of Mizoguchi derived from the eight or so late films I’ve seen in theaters in past 35 years. Reading the specialist comments– and where else can one find such a global pooling of insight?– makes me more eager to see the earlier films that DVD distribution is beginning to make available.
NS – Halloween is over (my sons were the Zodiac killer and the Joker, and they looked fabulous), but yeah, the election is right around the corner. This time, it’s not an overstatement to say that the whole world is watching.
Personally speaking, I find it difficult to enter the sublime world of Mizoguchi because I’m still thinking about Richard Quine from a few threads back. But I do hope that someone is getting ready to put THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS on DVD. I know that there are problems with the elements of several of his films. When Bruce Goldstein did the Mizoguchi retrospective at Film Forum a few years back, the new print didn’t look so good.
The architecture in STREET OF SHAME has “biomorphic” form, one suggestive of the constant curvature of body parts. Such biomorphic forms play a prominent role in the abstract painting of the Dada-Surrealist-Abstract Expressionist tradition, being found in such artists as Duchamp, Arp, Miro, Masson, Matta, Gorky and De Kooning. It is rare to see this in films. I know too little about modernist Japanese painting, to know where biomorphic abstraction might be found in it.
It might be good if this film were known as RED LINE DISTRICT. But in the USA, “red-lining” has an economic meaning. When I was a child, banks used to refuse to lend money to people who lived in poor or black districts. Or they would charge much higher rates. This was deplorable – and its now illegal, I believe.
At the college film society, silent movies were usually shown dead silent. Sometimes, someone would play phonograph records, making a “random” sound track. But I got used to seeing silent films in utter silence.
I still sometimes watch silents this way, at home. If the sound track is deplorable, or if its rhythms are interfering with the rhythm of the film, I turn the volume to zero and watch in silence. It is a “purer” experience – but less authentic.
Watching a pure visual movie – no sound – seems to affect the “logic” of the experience. Each image seems to grow logically, out of those that came before.
Just saw the Italian silent THE INFERNO (1911), at the Detroit Institute of Arts (based on Dante). This had an excellent, New Age-ish live accompaniment. When last seen 35 years ago, it was projected on a screen in a dorm dining room – no sound!
“But I do hope that someone is getting ready to put THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS on DVD. I know that there are problems with the elements of several of his films. When Bruce Goldstein did the Mizoguchi retrospective at Film Forum a few years back, the new print didn’t look so good.”
An absolutely flawless print of this film was shown on Film Four (Channel 4′s film channel) a few years back. Anyone who wanted to release CHRYSANTHEMUMS should simply use Film Four’s master.
Mike, you are so right! Almost all of the silent films I watched when I was young (we’re talking about the fifties) were seen at the Cinematheque in Paris, which never had any musical accompaniment (actually in my times there wasn’t even a piano in the house — in the early Avenue de Messine Cinematheque there wasn’t even any space for a piano). Today when I watch a silent on TV (DVD or TCM) I often turn off the music because it distracts me from the film. It’s usually wall-to-wall music, and no matter whether it’s good or bad, non-stop music is just unbearable.
Near non-stop music became a fashion in many Hollywood films of the forties, when there was little meaningful reason for such excesses, and to me it has spoiled some other perfectly fine ovies.
Mike, why is the experience of watching a silent movie without music “less authentic”? What’s authentic about any kind of music being tacked on a silent film?
Many books suggest that US & European silent films were usually shown with musical accompaniment: piano or organ in small theater, orchestra in big ones. This means their makers “intended” them to be seen with music.
Big warning: I am way out of my depth here. Don’t know if such statements are really true. Have vague memory that some scholars dispute this…
Also: if it helps us understand silents better, maybe it is “better” to watch them without sound – no matter what actual practice in the 1910′s and 1920′s was.
Mike, there is no doubt that silent films were almost always seen with some kind of musical accompaniment. Unfortunately their makers, with few exceptions, had no control over the music, which could and did change enormously from one venue to another. In any case, the music we hear now is totally different (again with very few exceptions) from the music used then. Films were never made to be watched in silence, but nearly a hundred years later it often feels that getting rid of all and any music is the best way to enjoy them. Which doesn’t necessarily mean it helps us understand them better. Maybe there is no real way to receive silent films the way audiences did at the time. We have been fatally spoiled by sound, the talkies. We think of those movies as “silent” movies. Viewers at the time never thought of them as such. Silence was a given, taken for granted. We just cannot relive that kind of experience.
Coincidentally, a friend just graciously sent me a DVD of THE STORY OF THE LAST CRYSTANTHEMUMS which he made from what I’m sure is a good source, perhaps the same one Brad mentioned. I haven’t seen this beautiful Mizoguchi in years and am looking forward to getting back to it.
Not much chance to throw in some thoughts on Mizoguchi here in the past week, but I enjoyed Dave’s excellent review of the Eclipse set, and
as one who doesn’t buy as many DVDs as some people, I’ve intended to definitely get this one ever since I first heard about it. Dave rightly pointed out it covers different periods of Mizoguchi, in all of which he is strong. I’ve only seen WOMEN OF THE NIGHT once and I guess I liked it better than some here. The others are all great to me. I’ve always been impressed at the extent to which Mizoguchi was willing to give up some of the evident visual poetry for which he was celebrated when he came to STREET OF SHAME/AKASEN CHITAI, for the saKe of finding the nuances of behavior and interaction in a relatively more prosaic but no less absorbing mise en scene. If it was Michael who said the last shot was especially devastating, I especially agree. A brilliant note on which Mizoguchi finishes and this is one of the most greatest of all last films.
My list of favorite Mizoguchis would bore people here and perhaps almost put them to sleep, but I can’t help it if that’s how I feel about UGETSU, LIFE OF OHARU, YOKIHI/PRINCESS YANG KWEI-FEI. But I hasten to add that the two 1936 movies in the Eclipse set–OSAKA ELEGY and SISTERS OF THE GION–which I first saw on a double bill and found absolutely stunning, have always held up for me and would still make my top half dozen too. I guess I could shake things up a little by rounding it out with A PICTURE OF MADAME YUKI, which has a mesmerizing, powerful ending realized with uncommon stylistic insipiration, and one that pulls together an uncommonly striking film, which I only saw once and would love to see again.
Another Eclipse set perhaps?
” But I do hope that someone is getting ready to put THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS on DVD.”
MK2 has.
“Maybe there is no real way to receive silent films the way audiences did at the time. We have been fatally spoiled by sound, the talkies. We think of those movies as “silent” movies. Viewers at the time never thought of them as such. Silence was a given, taken for granted. We just cannot relive that kind of experience.”
I think JP, a theatre is still the best way to watch a silent film. I watch some at home, but usually, films that I’ve already seen projected. I show the Chaplin films to my daughter and the use of music is as far as I’m concerned merely sublime. Chaplin’s scores for CITY LIGHTS and MODERN TIMES are definitely part of the experience-because he wrote both of course (with Alfred Newman’s assistance on MODERN TIMES). I hate bad music on a silent film and resent the new trend of “scoring” silent films. In paris, you have screenings of silent classics with DJ’s performing live during the screening. I could act resentful and play the arch filmbuff about this but if teenagers or people with absolutely no film culture can actually ENJOY a silent film in these conditions, why not ? Carl Davis made quite a good job at scoring silent films for British television in the eighties. But I don’t like his work for Sjostrom’s THE WIND which I always watch silent. Actually I first saw it at the age of 20, at la Cinémathèque. It was introuced to the audience by Lilian Gish herself who also spoke about “David” and her collaboration with him on Broken lililes and WAy down east. She said that Griffith thoughtb that silent film was that “universal language” mentioned in the Bible and therefore felt he was on a mission. She ended up with this wonderful sentence : “I hope you enjoy THE WIND. It’s one of my favorite movies. God bless you all.” Applause. She wept, and left the stage. She was dressed in white. What a sight !!!!
Lectures by Lillian Gish introduced me to the world of film. In 1970, she came to East Lansing, Michigan to show WAY DOWN EAST at Michigan State University. This was a great experience. It and POTEMKIN were what turned me on to classic film. Ten years later, saw Miss Gish again, introducing LA BOHEME.
Last year, STREET OF SHAME was shown in the giant theater at the DIA. Its complex, curvilinear compositions looked great on the large screen. Better than they did on the old, not very good videotape. Hope the new DVD is a visually splendid version.
I agree that Mizoguchi is among the greatest of all filmmakers. Seeing CHIKAMATSU MONOGATARI at the film society was the first view: a truly awesome experience. In addition to the other great films mentioned here, GION BIYASHI is wonderful.
Since my memory of the film is a little shaky, could someone who’s seen THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS recently tell me if all the scenes are filmed as sequence shots?
Thanks Brad. NS – is that part of a box set? DM, I haven’t seen the film in a few years. I can say with confidence that it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen, but speak less confidently about the number of sequence shots. There are many, that’s for sure. A question for Brad, I think.
The worst film music experience I’ve ever had was watching Painlevé’s incredible films relieved of their (beautiful!) scores and accompanied by Yo La Tengo, who droned on and on, playing music that bore no detectable relationship to the images. There are so many lousy silent scores out there, although I’m not sure I agree that Carl Davis’ score for THE WIND is one of them. Seemed okay to me.
Blake, there are some beautiful Region 2 DVDs from Masters of Cinema of THE WOMAN IN THE RUMOR, THE CRUCIFIED LOVERS, and YANG KWEI FEI. MADAME YUKI awaits.
When silent film scores come up, many get down on them (rightly) because they signal too much, seem at odds with the flow of the film, or in some other way simply seem distracting and inappropriate. I must acknowledge that with some films if they can’t seem to get a sensitive score (DOCKS OF NEW YORK), it does play better silent, and that movie has played best that way for me.
But I don’t feel that way when it’s the reconstuction of an original score, as one sometimes hears. They did this some years ago in L.A. with BROKEN BLOSSOMS and it was played live with the last remaining nitrate print. One of the greatest experiences I ever had watching a movie, and yes, Lillian Gish was there for that one too.
‘I’ve always been impressed at the extent to which Mizoguchi was willing to give up some of the evident visual poetry for which he was celebrated when he came to STREET OF SHAME/AKASEN CHITAI, for the saKe of finding the nuances of behavior and interaction in a relatively more prosaic but no less absorbing mise en scene. If it was Michael who said the last shot was especially devastating, I especially agree. A brilliant note on which Mizoguchi finishes and this is one of the most greatest of all last films.’
Blake, Mizoguchi wanting to film AKASEN CHITAI on the location of Yoshiwara district, but he only filmed a few shots their because brothel owners made the objection. So he had to use set instead, maybe accidently better because it’s called Dreamland Brothel. Yumeko means Dream Child,she is the lady who has mental break up.
Also, Mizo was getting sick while making the movie, but he did not know he was dying. Still, for me it’s the great movie, last shot especially.
He planned two more movies after this one. Next movie OSAKA MONOGATARI had the screenplay and set design he approved, also cast, almost ready for him to start when he went into the hospital. After Mizo died someone else made the movie. Other movie was ZOKU SHIN HEIKE MONOGATARI that was supposed to be scope movie.
Japanese critics saying AKASEN CHITAI caused public opinion to favor Anti-Prostitution Bill, always defeated earlier (this Bill was from opposition Socialist Party.) Movie opened March 1956 during the Diet debate, Bill passed May when Mizoguchi died.
I know that Mizoguchi’s Osaka monogatari script was ultimately filmed by one Kozaburo Yoshimura (but have never seen this — despite the existence of an unsubbed Japanese DVD). I believe a sequel to Taira Clan was also filmed — I wonder if this was this connected in any way to Mizoguchi’s planned sequel?
‘I believe a sequel to Taira Clan was also filmed — I wonder if this was this connected in any way to Mizoguchi’s planned sequel?’
They was based on the same novel by popular writer of history novels. 1955 SHIN HEIKE MONOGATARI was first third of novel, because it wasn’t finished yet. Chapters was being printed in weekly magazine, complete book published 1957. Mizoguchi only had the agreement to make the sequel, nothing else except probably he would have same cast.
http://www.dvd.mk2.com/fr/produit_44_mk2_38659_acheter_COFFRET_DVD_Coffret_Mizoguchi_-_Les_47_ronins_+_Les_contes_des_chrysanth%E8mes_tardifs_+_L‘%E9l%E9gie_de_Naniwa_en_stock.php
“Since my memory of the film is a little shaky, could someone who’s seen THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS recently tell me if all the scenes are filmed as sequence shots?”
I don’t believe Mizoguchi ever made a film in which all the scenes were filmed as sequence shots.
I, for one, love the scores the Alloy Orchestra has done for silent films (e.g. Browning’s THE UNKNOWN and Keaton’s THE GENERAL).
‘I don’t believe Mizoguchi ever made a film in which all the scenes were filmed as sequence shots.’
What is sequence shots? I do not know that expression. I appreciate the answer from someone.
“What is sequence shots? I do not know that expression. I appreciate the answer from someone.”
A ‘sequence shot’ is an entire scene consisting of only one shot, without cuts. The equivalent French term is ‘plan sequence’.
Thank you Brad.
You are right about Mizo not making the movie completely in sequence shots. I cannot think of another Mizoguchi movie that has only sequence shots. ZANGIKU MONOGATARI has one reel takes, but not all the movie has this.