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Licensor Information
Shochiku
Directed by: Kenji Mizoguchi
Featuring: Shôtarô Hanayagi, Kôkichi Takada, Ryôtarô Kawanami, Kinnosuke Takamatsu, Jun'nosuke Hayama, Tamitaro Onoue
This heartrending masterpiece by Kenji Mizoguchi about the give-and-take between life and art marked the director’s first use of the hypnotic long takes and eloquent camera movements that would come to define his films. The adopted son of legendary kabuki actor Kikunosuke (Shotaro Hanayagi), who is striving to achieve stardom by mastering female roles, turns to his infant brother’s wet nurse (Kakuko Mori) for support and affection—and she soon gives up everything for her beloved’s creative glory. Featuring fascinating glimpses behind the scenes of kabuki theater in the late nineteenth century, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is a critique of the oppression of women and the sacrifices required of them, and the pinnacle of Mizoguchi’s early career.
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Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
Blu-ray
Disc:
BD-50 (1 Disc)
Total: 1 Disc
Regions:
A (Blu-ray)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37:1
Audio Options:
Japanese PCM Mono 1.0
Resolution:
1080p/24
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Interview, Insert
- New interview with critic Phillip Lopate about the evolution of director Kenji Mizoguchi’s style
- Insert featuring an essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew
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Release Credits
Producer: Elizabeth Pauker
Artwork: Michael Boland
Release Notes on Restoration
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. 0n widescreen televisions, black bars will appear on the left and right of the image to maintain the proper screen format. This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Scanity film scanner and restored by Shochiku Co., Ltd., at IMAGICA Corporation in Tokyo. The restoration was undertaken from a 35mm fine-grain positive and a 35mm duplicate negative. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm optical soundtrack print.