criterionforum.org

Yōkihi

Set many centuries ago, Yōkihi [Imperial Concubine Yang, aka Yang Kwei Fei] recounts the Chinese legend referred to in its title.

In eighth-century T’ang China, widowed Emperor Hsüan-tsung (Masayuki Mori) reigns alone, devoting his life to the composition of music. When he meets and falls in love with a beautiful young woman (Machiko Kyo), who will become his imperial concubine, a tale of political intrigue and rival dynasties is set in motion, with ultimately tragic consequences.

Sumptuously filmed in vibrant colour, Yōkihi is the most ancient of Mizoguchi’s costume dramas, yet its central themes of passion, sorrow, and the conflict between love and power remain timeless — it was also nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice.

Akasen chitai

Akasen Chitai [Red Light District, aka Street of Shame] – sadly, the very last film by Kenji Mizoguchi (Sansho Dayu, Ugetsu Monogatari) – presents a vivid portrait of prostitution in 1950s Japan.

In a Tokyo brothel named Dreamland — an obvious irony given the faded hopes of those who work there — the lives of five prostitutes intersect. Each has a very different story for how they entered the profession, but what they share is the struggle to make sense of the red light district and its cycle of exploitation.

Filmed shortly before the Japanese government’s introduction of an anti-prostitution bill, Akasen Chitai is a compelling study of women torn between financial necessity and questions of conscience. It was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and inspired French critic Jean Douchet to proclaim: “For me, along with Chaplin’s Monsieur Verdoux and Renoir’s La Règle du Jeu, the greatest film in the history of cinema”.

The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Mizoguchi’s films for the first time on home video in the UK.

Special Features

• 2 x disc special edition containing new transfers of both Akasen Chitai and Yōkihi.
• New and improved English subtitles.
• Full length Akasen Chitai audio commentary and a video discussion about Yōkihi by acclaimed Japanese film expert/critic, festival programmer, and filmmaker Tony Rayns.
• Original theatrical trailers.
• 64-page booklet featuring writing by Keiko I. McDonald (author of Mizoguchi), Mark Le Fanu (author of Mizoguchi and Japan), Masako Nakagawa (author of The Yang Kuei-fei Legend in Japanese Literature), ninth-century poetry (A Song of Unending Sorrow) by Po Chü-i, and rare production stills.

This is the potential best of the Mizoguchi boxes.

I've read a couple of accounts of Mizoguchi regretting taking on Yokihi. Starting up and realising he hadn't done nearly enough research into the era and stuff. I guess we can rely on Tony Rayns to go into graphic detail.

Does Tony Rayns do the audio commentary on Akasen Chitai too? That should be good. "And this scene is REALLY terrible...". Ha ha! No really, full-length commentary should be interesting.

davidhare wrote:God forbid he should try to ruin this for more people. There's already enough nonsense around about how dare Mizoguchi address a Chinese subject.

The Gaumont disc of this was gorgeous and Im sure the MoC will be even more beautiful.

A Chinese subject that has been an integral part of Japanese literature since Lady Murasaki wrote Tale of the Genji about one thousand years ago. (This story is discussed in the very first chapter, as I recall).

The French DVD is indeed absolutely gorgeous. Machiko Kyo is simply wonderful in this. Even if this is not at the top pof my Mizoguchi list, it is nonetheless a lovely film. I can easily imagine TR kicking it around, however. ;~{

There's also reference in the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (Murasaki's court contemporary) to Po Chu-i's great poem about Yang Kwei Fei. Mizo's film i found a touch disappointing, seems too "precious", whereas Street of Shame has grown on me a bit- i like that extraordinary final shot to end Mizo's career, and epecially Machiko Kyo's blistering attack on her dad's hypocrisy. Street of Shame has strange music similar to Woman of Rumour (both a bit like some 50's film about aliens, i thought).

Kenji wrote:There's also reference in the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (Murasaki's court contemporary) to Po Chu-i's great poem about Yang Kwei Fei. Mizo's film i found a touch disappointing, seems too "precious"...

I agree that the dramatic tone of this film seems a bit off. But the best moments are wonderful -- and very beautiful.

.. whereas Street of Shame has grown on me a bit- i like that extraordinary final shot to end Mizo's career, and epecially Machiko Kyo's blistering attack on her dad's hypocrisy. Street of Shame has strange music similar to Woman of Rumour (both a bit like some 50's film about aliens, i thought).

This became my favorite Mizoguchi film as soon as first I saw it -- until I finally got to see Chikamatsu monogatari a couple of years later. It remains in my top tier. The last shot and the performance of Machiko Kyo (among others -- esp. Michiyo Kogure and Ayako Wakao) are two of the elements that secured its lofty position.

Ah, interesting to see they've not gone for the period cover this time around. I'm sure it must have been tempting, Yokihi is full of beautiful stills. If he's going to criticize one of the films though, I suspect Mr Rayns will go for Yohiki.

It's nice to see this series acknowledge the value of Mizoguchi's non-period pieces what with the commentary track, and hopefully half the book dedicated to Akasen Chitai.

I love them both, having caught a triple-bill with Chikamatsu when the new prints circulated near my area last year (Well, a 3 hour drive, but that's the nearest to my town Mizoguchi's ever likely to get).

I think there would be a problem putting a color still on the DVD as it wouldn't correspond with the other boxsets. In any case, I'm looking forward to this set the most. Unlike the previous ones, I'm not even going to waste time looking for cheap (but nice) French DVDs or old VHSes for "test runs" but instead, immediately buying it. It's a terrible mindset, I know, but I really expect Street of Shame to be my favorite Mizoguchi film. I'm not quite as hopeful for Yôkihi but the cast is great: Machiko Kyo, Masyuki Mori, and Haruko Sugimura in her only collaboration with Mizoguchi, right? Consider it bought.

Sanjuro wrote:If he's going to criticize one of the films though, I suspect Mr Rayns will go for Yohiki.

He could easily slate them both. ;~{

The most striking photo to use for the cover would come from the very end of Akasen chitai, but using it might well be liking putting a spoiler on the box's cover.

He is providing a full audio commentary for Street of Shame. I doubt he'd trash a film that people will be watching simultaneously....

...but you never know.

Michael Kerpan wrote:The most striking photo to use for the cover would come from the very end of Akasen chitai, but using it might well be liking putting a spoiler on the box's cover.

Yeah -- and I'd gladly trade Le Fanu and MacDonald for Bordwell's discussion (from the blog? It's at least in FtiL) of that moment.

davidhare wrote:Nick must have been on the same wavelength for the Chikamatsu/Uwasa No Onna disc as Rayns is "limited" to a fifteen minute odd direct to camera piece (presumably directed by Old Nick himself.) It may be the intrusion of the camera into Rayn's reality but the sarcasm simply vanishes, and he delivers a very cogent

The Uwasa no onna piece is certainly okay -- but I think the Chikamatsu monogatari one is pretty bad overall.

DVD Times has posted its review.

Both films look wonderful. I can't wait to buy them. Let us hope that MoC will release Mizoguchi's films from the 30s and 40s.

davidhare wrote:Nick must have been on the same wavelength for the Chikamatsu/Uwasa No Onna disc as Rayns is "limited" to a fifteen minute odd direct to camera piece (presumably directed by Old Nick himself.) It may be the intrusion of the camera into Rayn's reality but the sarcasm simply vanishes, and he delivers a very cogent and highly intelligent analysis of the film.

I haven't actually listened to any of his commentaries on DVDs I own so I wasn't aware he had "form", but David, if you read his Time Out reviews of your beloved Von Sternberg, your heart might warm to him a little...

It is always a problem though isn't it, in that it is easier to criticise and usually makes for sharper prose, be it written or spoken. It is always a shame when those who can inspire you to go out and buy a DVD sight unseen resort to the less pleasant side of their trade.

davidhare wrote:It carries a tone of voice I find difficult to describe without being offensive to British FIlm Society Queue Lovers (I think you know what I mean.)

Not the faintest idea, but I'm intrigued! Can you elaborate?

While we're on the subject of Rayns, I was reading his essay on Warhol in the Who is AW? collection (ed. by MacCabe, Francis & Wollen) today, and it reminded me that although I generally like his writing, a worrying degree of flippancy often creeps in that sours the tone. Here, when discussing the fact that Warhol may have recorded the conversation between those present during the filming of Empire, he takes a pot shot at Mekas for no apparent reason:

The film has always been screened silent, though, probably because the calibre of the back-chat didn't measure up to the 'star quality' of the Empire State Building itself. (Since Jonas Mekas was behind the camera, it's safe to assume that the repartee wasn't scintillating.)

The point being? Keep that kind of crap to yourself, Tony!

davidhare wrote:(The British seem to require queues to make life possible)

You know the old joke:

Q: What do you call an Englishman?
A: A queue of one.

What you describe, David, could also easily describe the setting of any independent coffee shop in an American college town. There's always some obnoxious ass pontificating loudly. (But without the British accent.)

DVDBeaver

From the review:

More good news is that Masters of Cinema have plans for even more Mizoguchi releases in April of 2009

sidehacker wrote:DVDBeaver

From the review:

More good news is that Masters of Cinema have plans for even more Mizoguchi releases in April of 2009

Silents?

Gigi M. wrote:

sidehacker wrote:DVDBeaver

From the review:

More good news is that Masters of Cinema have plans for even more Mizoguchi releases in April of 2009

Silents?

Yes please!

Silents, the early talkies, some wartime films...whatever it is, I'll take it and love it.

Question for whomever actually has this disc:

- DVDTimes claims the disc is PAL-encoded while Beaver says its NTSC

...which is it?

It's NTSC.

Thanks!

What A Disgrace wrote:Silents, the early talkies, some wartime films...whatever it is, I'll take it and love it.

It looks like Mizoguchi will be for MoC what Ozu is for Criterion... (only kidding). Great news! Especially as I was almost on the verge of buying the French discs despite the French subs... Would be great to know at least roughly which films (or from which period) we can hope for next year. Ah... still eleven months to go....

Also received my set of this last installment today. Now the Beaver watered my mouth even more. As usual very wonderful booklet design in any case, and thankfully both films for once get roughly the same amount of space there.