Japanese Classics: TIFF/NFAJ Classics: Kenji Mizoguchi, 1954
A Story from Chikamatsu [Digital Restoration]
A Story from Chikamatsu近松物語［デジタル修復版］
Director Mizoguchi Kenji
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Based on a joruri puppet theater play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Known for having previously avoided using major male stars in his work, Mizoguchi cast Hasegawa Kazuo for the first time, together with Kagawa Kyoko, who had gained acclaim for her recent role in Sansho the Bailiff. Miyagawa Kazuo's exquisite cinematography pushed the tonal possibilities of black-and-white film to their limit, imbuing scenes such as the one on the lake as the lovers move toward their tragic fate with extraordinary intensity and purity.
Print courtesy of Kadokawa Corporation
Mizoguchi was born in Tokyo in 1898. Following his debut in 1923, he was noted for Kaminingyo Haru no Sasayaki (1926). After Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion (1936), he won the International Award for The Life of Oharu (1952), the Silver Lion for Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), and Sansho Dayu (1954) at the Venice Film Festival, making his name known globally. He died suddenly in 1956 at the age of 58.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
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