58-59 / BD 72 Yōkihi & Akasen chitai

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GringoTex · #51 Post by **GringoTex** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:13 pm

Watched Akasen chitai last night for the first time. The memory of it is sticking with me better than the viewing experience itself, and I'll probably watch it again, but man it's hard for me to praise Mizoguchi's contemporary films in comparison with Naruse.

I can't complain about the all-around excellent performances, though.

Michael Kerpan · #52 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:09 pm

GringoTex wrote:Watched Akasen chitai last night for the first time. The memory of it is sticking with me better than the viewing experience itself, and I'll probably watch it again, but man it's hard for me to praise Mizoguchi's contemporary films in comparison with Naruse.

I became familiar with these Mizoguchi films before i first encountered most of the comparable Naruse ones. I loved them at first -- but do have to concede now that they are pretty dramatically unsubtle compared to Naruse's films of the same period.

The best parts of Akasen chitai are still wonderful, however -- as are most parts of Gion bayashi (and virtually ALL of the unheralded Woman of Rumor).

I can't complain about the all-around excellent performances, though.

I was not too enthused by the woman with the rotten grown-up son. I would agree as to the rest of the performances. The (normally) stately and gorgeous Michiyo Kogure was particularly impressive as the bespectacled "working mother".

GringoTex · #53 Post by **GringoTex** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:53 am

Michael Kerpan wrote:The best parts of Akasen chitai are still wonderful, however -- as are most parts of Gion bayashi (and virtually ALL of the unheralded Woman of Rumor).

Gion bayashi remains my favorite contemporary Mizoguchi for its extreme empathy. Akasen is all so matter of fact- like a political tract. Of course, I haven't seen Woman of Rumor.

Which me brings me back to the mystery of what makes Naruse so great. Of all my favorite directors, his style is the most elusive to pinpoint. The best explanation I know of is his own: “If they move even a little, they quickly hit the wall."

Michael Kerpan · #54 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:44 am

GringoTex wrote:Which me brings me back to the mystery of what makes Naruse so great. Of all my favorite directors, his style is the most elusive to pinpoint. The best explanation I know of is his own: “If they move even a little, they quickly hit the wall."

However, there are a few films where Naruse's characters _don't_ run into a wall (or there is hope that they won't) -- and they are pretty wonderful too.

Akasen chitai is a bit schematic at points -- but there are long stretches that go beyond matter-of-fact-ness.

Woman of Rumor has an especially interesting (much more jittery than the norm in Mizoguchi) performance by Tanaka. A must-see film for KT fans.

manicsounds · #55 Post by **manicsounds** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:57 am

October 21st, BD upgrade in the limited "Late Mizoguchi" boxset

PfR73 · #56 Post by **PfR73** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:57 am

I am watching Yokihi on the MOC Blu-Ray and during the scenes where the general begins the rebellion, there are a whole bunch of subtitles describing what is happening in the story, but there is no dialogue and no on screen text. Sansho The Bailiff has similar sequences, but the MOC Late Mizoguchi book & Criterion book both address this for Sansho (producer's wishes/missing elements). The MOC Book doesn't say anything similar for Yokihi. Is it a similar situation?

Orlac · #57 Post by **Orlac** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:24 pm

Indeed, it is.

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