52-59 / BD 36-37, 71-72 Late Mizoguchi: Eight Films, 1951-56

[kinjitsu]

Maybe this will encourage an answer.

Some of the films to be released in 2007:

Miss Oyu
Ugetsu Monogatari
Goin Festival Music
Sansho Dayu
The Woman of Rumour
Chikamatsu Monogatari
The Empress Yang Kwei Fei
Street of Shame

[mikeohhh]

Nick, will Street of Shame appear on the first or second box?

[What A Disgrace]

Nick, any chance that Kenji Mizoguchi: Beyond the Time will appear in either of these boxes? I don't know about the quality of the film, of course, but apparently, the man himself appears in archive footage. Not to mention Kazuo Miyagawa and others.

[Jun-Dai]

One thing that amazes me is the lack of Japanese scholarship on Japanese films available in English. I don't recall hearing about a commentary by a Japanese scholar on a Japanese film, and precious few books are translated into English. Unfortunately my Japanese is far too weak to even imagine undertaking the task of reading something like this or this.

Have you considered looking into getting a Japanese Mizoguchi scholar to do a commentary track or two, either in English (if they speak it) or with subtitles?

It's interesting that we love international films so much but seem to have such a strong preference on things written/spoken/filmed in English when it comes to the scholarship. Is it because the market for materials about films is such a small percentage of the market for the films themselves that the cost of translation (and of exploring the available options) starts to become a deciding factor?

[ellipsis7]

One thing that amazes me is the lack of Japanese scholarship on Japanese films available in English. I don't recall hearing about a commentary by a Japanese scholar on a Japanese film, and precious few books are translated into English.

Not about Mizoguchi but Ozu, I would recommend highly OZU'S ANTI CINEMA by Yoshida Kiju, translated from the Japanese and published by the Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan... Gives very interesting perspective, information and insights from a Japanese filmmaker who knew Ozu, but is from a different younger generation...

[Michael Kerpan]

Also on Ozu -- Hasumi's book on Ozu (published by Cahiers du cinema -- in a French translation, with Hasumi's participation).

Also in French -- and pretty indispensable -- Narboni's book on Naruse (also published by CdC).

Not sure whether there is any similarly important material on Mizoguchi available in French (and not English).

The best material in English on Mizoguchi is probably Kirihara's book on the earlier films (Patterns of Time) -- and Bordwell's chapter of "Figures Traced in Light". I don't know whether Kirihara has ever worked on the 50s films.

[ltfontaine]

One thing that amazes me is the lack of Japanese scholarship on Japanese films available in English.

I agree that this is a serious handicap to understanding in the West of Japanese film. Donald Richie has consistently claimed that there is almost no such serious critical activity taking place in Japan, which seems hard to believe.

The best of the few books by Japanese writers that I've found is Yoshimoto Mitsuhiro's Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema, which provides much insight into the film art and industry of Japan, as well as into Kurosawa's career.

I also second the recommendation by ellipsis7 of Ozu's Anti-Cinema, which is highly idiosyncratic, but fascinating.

Now to track down that Kirihara book.

[addz]

Grabs from the forthcoming MoC SANSHO DAYU (1954):

Great sales tactic peerpee!

I'm new to Mizoguchi (for shame, i know) but just seeing that one shot convinced me that I need to own this set when it's released. Beautiful.

[daniel p]

I'm new to Mizoguchi (for shame, i know) but just seeing that one shot convinced me that I need to own this set when it's released. Beautiful.

personally, i'm still waiting to hear more about this box, to persuade me against grabbing the criterion release of sansho... can you give anything else away to help my cause nick?

[Michael Kerpan]

All of Mizoguchi;s late films are pretty-much in the "must have" category (except maybe "Taira Clan"). If you already know you are going to need LOTS of Mizoguchi-- and fast, going with MOC is an easy choice. If you are willing to wait several years (who knows how long) -- Criterion is a viable alternative.

[jt]

I'm new to Mizoguchi (for shame, i know) but just seeing that one shot convinced me that I need to own this set when it's released. Beautiful.

personally, i'm still waiting to hear more about this box, to persuade me against grabbing the criterion release of sansho... can you give anything else away to help my cause nick?

Yeah, Nick, is there any chance of giving us a clue as to when these sets will be out, which films will be in which box and what the extras will be? Pretty please??
If the MoC Sansho is crammed with extras and out soon, we can hold off the CC, but if yours isn't on the way for six months and will be light on extras, I don't mind picking up the CC in the mean time to tide me over till your set arrives.

[Awesome Welles]

Yeah, Nick, is there any chance of giving us a clue as to when these sets will be out, which films will be in which box and what the extras will be? Pretty please??
If the MoC Sansho is crammed with extras and out soon, we can hold off the CC, but if yours isn't on the way for six months and will be light on extras, I don't mind picking up the CC in the mean time to tide me over till your set arrives.

I imagine that they will be released in two sets chronologically

Set one:
Miss Oyu
Ugetsu Monogatari
Goin Festival Music
Sansho Dayu

Set two:
The Woman of Rumour
Chikamatsu Monogatari
The Empress Yang Kwei Fei
Street of Shame

I'll definitely be buying both. I loved Ugetsu and have been waiting to see Sansho for ages, I think that the MoC set will be much greater value than the CC in my opinion. The only questions which remain are features and release dates, my guess for releases is September at least for the first set and features I have no idea but disappointment doesn't seem plausible.

[Narshty]

I'd bet that Sansho will be in one and Ugetsu in the other, to have a crown jewel in each one.

[Michael Kerpan]

I'd bet that Sansho will be in one and Ugetsu in the other, to have a crown jewel in each one.

Well -- it would make marketing sense to do this -- but some of us would say the "crown jewels" are actually "Crucified Lovers", "Gion Festival Music" and "Street of Shame".

;~}

[peerpee]

We have a solid plan -- and we're working on everything now. We want to make a detailed announcement much nearer release time (which is looking like October-December).

All I can say is that Tony Rayns will be helping, there will be commentary tracks.... and that this Mizoguchi thread will have to be renamed/rejigged.

[ellipsis7]

Not knowing the ones you mention yet, Michael, I nonetheless love A TALE OF LATE CHRYSANTHENUMS...

Now to decode Nick's latest news...

[Tomas]

I didn't have the possibility to see The Woman of Rumour yet.

Miss Oyu, The Empress Yang Kwei Fei and Tales of the Taira Clan are all above average films, but are not among my favorites Mizoguchi films.

I agree with M.Kerpan about those "crown jewels" films, but Sansho for me is something different, maybe because it was one of the first Mizoguchi films I ever saw. I was glued to the TV screen from beginning till the end, and then "that" last scene is something I'll never forget. After the fade out - my hands were shaking and I couldn't remain still for about 10 minutes after the end. Something like that I never experienced again with another film.

I'll get the CC version of Sansho and I'll be picking these box-sets when they come out.

[GringoTex]

and that this Mizoguchi thread will have to be renamed/rejigged.

FIFTEEN FILMS BY MIZOGUCHI: Criterion is our Bitch

[Michael Kerpan]

I didn't have the possibility to see The Woman of Rumour yet.

This belongs to the same line of films as "Gion Festival Music" and "Street of Shame". My sense is that it is related (rather loosely) to Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession" (not sure how this might have come about). Rather atypically for Mizoguchi, this is centered about a mother (Kinuyo Tanaka) and daughter (Yoshiko Kuga). It demands a lot more work from Tanaka than the other Mizoguchi films of this decade. Not one of Mizoguchi's very greatest works --- but interesting and well worth seeing.

[Gropius]

this Mizoguchi thread will have to be renamed/rejigged.

Guessing that there won't be a volume two?

[Tomas]

Thank you for the info Michael.

I'm very interested in seeing it, I've never been disappointed by any of Mizoguchi films.

A few weeks ago I saw Osaka Elegy, that is another good Mizoguchi film (one of the better ones). It reminds me a little of "Oharu" and of "Street of Shame".

[Michael Kerpan]

Mizoguchi came late to historical films -- only starting to do these during WW2. (He did make some Meiji era films prior to this, but that was a very different genre from typical historical films) -- more like contemporary home dramas, but a bit more more melodramatic. Of his surviving films....

1920s -- Meiji or contemporary - 2; historical - 0
1930s -- Meiji or contemporary - 8; historical - 0
1940s -- Meiji or contemporary - 4; historical - 4
1950s -- Meiji or contemporary - 6; historical - 6

[TheGodfather]

and that this Mizoguchi thread will have to be renamed/rejigged.

FIFTEEN FILMS BY MIZOGUCHI: Criterion is our Bitch

that would be a cool title

[Awesome Welles]

this Mizoguchi thread will have to be renamed/rejigged.

Rejig:

Mizoguchi Volume One 52 -55
Miss Oyu
Ugetsu Monogatari
Goin Festival Music
Sansho Dayu

Mizoguchi Volume Two 56 -59
The Woman of Rumour
Chikamatsu Monogatari
The Empress Yang Kwei Fei
Street of Shame

Something like that?

[Michael Kerpan]

The most sensible way of reconfiguring the late films would be to have a set devoted to the historical films and another devoted to films dealing with Meiji and modern era ones. this would allow more coherent extras.