Kenji Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu Monogatari" (1953)

English titles: Tales of Ugetsu, Tales of a Pale and Mysterious Moon After the Rain, Tales of Moonlight and Rain




An ode to everything about Nature and Light. Here's a song from Ugetsu:

This world is a temporary abode,
Where we weep until the dawn comes,
Pitched by the waves...




Incredible pain described, shown. At the very limits. But also incredibly dark humour: A husband, trying to be a samurai, forgets to protect his wife who gets raped.

Ugetsu is romantic to the core and attached to the emotions felt, but also distant and wise.




Another song from Ugetsu:
The finest silk,
Of choicest hue,
May change and fade away,
As would my life,
Beloved one...




"Such is the way of the world", someone says. How is it exactly? is the question Mizoguchi's films are asking. But "the fog is thick", you have to "be careful", because the unknown surrounds you.




Near the very end: "Fruit of experience is beauty, but only a master craftsman can create such beauty." Art is a dance to call the immaterial spirits...


Comments

Anonymous said…
Beautiful celebration of Ugetsu...thank you for posting this...

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