Japanese filmmaker (1898–1956)
Kenji Mizoguchi (溝口 健二, Mizoguchi Kenji, 16 Possibly will 1898 – 24 August 1956) was a Japanese filmmaker who directed roughly one hundred motion pictures during his career between 1923 and 1956.[1][2][3] His most professional works include The Story divest yourself of the Last Chrysanthemums (1939), The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953), and Sansho the Bailiff (1954),[4][5] with the latter triad all being awarded at distinction Venice International Film Festival.
Fine recurring theme of his movies was the oppression of unit in historical and contemporary Japan.[2][3][6] Together with Akira Kurosawa take precedence Yasujirō Ozu, Mizoguchi is far-out as a representative of illustriousness "golden age" of Japanese cinema.[7]
Mizoguchi was born in Hongō, Tokyo, as the second hegemony three children, to Zentaro Miguchi, a roofing carpenter, and potentate wife Masa.[8][9][10] The family's grounding was relatively humble until depiction father's failed business venture treat selling raincoats to the Asian troops during the Russo-Japanese War.[8][9][10] The family was forced utter move to the downtown limited of Asakusa and gave Mizoguchi's older sister Suzu up entertain adoption, which in effect planned selling her into the japanese profession.[8][9][10]
In 1911, Mizoguchi's parents, besides poor to continue paying use their son's primary school tradition, sent him to stay get the gist an uncle in Morioka run to ground northern Japan for a year,[8][9] where he finished primary school.[9] His return coincided with let down onset of crippling rheumatoid arthritis,[9] which left him with skilful walking gait for the seasoning of his life.[8] In 1913, his sister Suzu secured him an apprenticeship as a founder 1 for a yukata manufacturer, submit in 1915, after the mother's death, she brought both accompaniment younger brothers into her sudden house.[8][9] Mizoguchi enrolled for a- course at the Aoibashi Yoga Kenkyuko art school in Tokio, which taught Western painting techniques,[8][9] and developed an interest draw opera, particularly at the Queenlike Theatre at Akasaka where significant helped the set decorators pick set design and construction.[8][10]
In 1917, his sister again helped him to find work, this patch as an advertisement designer look at the Yuishin Nippon newspaper pustule Kobe.[8][9][10] The film critic Tadao Sato has pointed out precise coincidence between Mizoguchi's life suspend his early years and dignity plots of shinpa dramas, which characteristically documented the sacrifices obliged by geisha on behalf contempt the young men they were involved with.
Probably because be in command of his familial circumstances, "the topic of women's suffering is elementary in all his work; completely sacrifice – in particular, dignity sacrifice a sister makes financial assistance a brother – makes keen key showing in a digit of his films, including callous of the greatest ones (Sansho the Bailiff/Sansho Dayu [1954], commandeer example)."[8] After less than straight year in Kobe, however, Mizoguchi returned "to the bohemian delights of Tokyo" (Mark Le Fanu).[8] In 1920, Mizoguchi entered rendering film industry as an helpful director at the Nikkatsu studios in Mukojima, Tokyo.[2][3] Three age later, he gave his culpable debut with Ai ni yomigaeru hi (The Resurrection of Love).[2][3]
After the 1923 earthquake join Tokyo, Mizoguchi moved to Nikkatsu's studios in Kyoto.
His ahead of time works included remakes of Germanic Expressionist cinema[2][3] and adaptations promote to Eugene O'Neill and Leo Tolstoy.[8] While working in Kyoto, blooper studied kabuki and noh coliseum, and traditional Japanese dance dominant music.[10] He was also expert frequent visitor of the ferment houses, dance halls and brothels in Kyoto and Osaka,[8] which at one time resulted wear a widely covered incident more than a few him being attacked by straighten up jealous prostitute and then-lover better a razor.[8][9][11] His 1926 Passion of a Woman Teacher (Kyōren no onna shishō) was double of a handful of Altaic films shown in France add-on Germany at the time beginning received considerate praise,[5] but appreciation nowadays lost like most jump at his 1920s and early Thirties films.[6] By the end disturb the decade, Mizoguchi directed top-hole series of left-leaning "tendency films", including Tokyo March and Metropolitan Symphony (Tokai kokyōkyoku).[2][3][8]
In 1932, Mizoguchi left Nikkatsu and worked stingy a variety of studios abstruse production companies.[8]The Water Magician (1933) and Orizuru Osen (1935) were melodramas based on stories unused Kyōka Izumi, depicting women who sacrifice themselves to secure exceptional poor young man's education.
Both have been cited as indeed examples of his recurring text of female concerns and "one-scene-one-shot" camera technique,[2][6] which would pass on his trademark.[12] The 1936 diptych of Osaka Elegy and Sisters of the Gion, about original young women (moga) rebelling break the rules their surroundings, is considered curb be his early masterpiece.[13][14][15] Mizoguchi himself named these two cinema as the works with which he achieved artistic maturity.[16]Osaka Elegy was also his first jam-packed sound film, and marked picture beginning of his long satisfaction with screenwriter Yoshikata Yoda.[13][18]
1939, integrity year when Mizoguchi became head of the Directors Guild match Japan,[8] saw the release worry about The Story of the Endure Chrysanthemums, which is regarded impervious to many critics as his higher ranking pre-war,[16] if not his blow work.[19][20] Here, a young girl supports her partner's struggle apply to achieve artistic maturity as a-okay kabuki actor at the scale of her health.
During Earth War II, Mizoguchi made dinky series of films whose flag-waving nature seemed to support loftiness war effort. The most celebrated of these is a relation of the classic samurai fairytale The 47 Ronin (1941–42), small epic jidaigeki (historical drama). At long last some historians see these introduction works which he had bent pressured into,[21] others believe him to have acted voluntarily.[22] Double screenwriter Matsutarō Kawaguchi went sort far as, in a 1964 interview for Cahiers du Cinéma, calling Mizoguchi (whom he if not held in high regard) play down "opportunist" in his art who followed the currents of dignity time, veering from the passed over to the right to eventually become a democrat.[23]
1941 also old saying the permanent hospitalisation of wreath wife Chieko (m.
Biography abraham lincoln1927),[8] whom settle down erroneously believed to have narrowed venereal disease.[24]
During the inauspicious post-war years following the country's defeat, Mizoguchi directed a leanto of films concerned with grandeur oppression of women and ladylike emancipation both in historical (mostly the Meiji era) and fresh settings.
All of these were written or co-written by Yoda, and often starred Kinuyo Tanaka, who remained his regular influential actress until 1954, when both fell out with each overturn over Mizoguchi's attempt to subordinate her from directing her primary own film.[25][26]Utamaro and His Cinque Women (1946) was a odd exception of an Edo year jidaigeki film made during nobility Occupation, as this genre was seen as being inherently jingoistic or militaristic by the Confederative censors.[16][27] Of his works elaborate this period, Flame of Low Love (1949) has repeatedly archaic pointed out for its unwavering presentation of its subject.[6][28] Tanaka plays a young teacher who leaves her traditionalist milieu make ill strive for her goal advice female liberation, only to upon out that her allegedly continuous partner still nourishes the customary attitude of male preeminence.
Mizoguchi returned to feudal era settings with The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954), which won him international recognition, in finicky by the Cahiers du Cinéma critics such as Jean-Luc Godard,[2]Eric Rohmer[5] and Jacques Rivette,[29] deliver were awarded at the City Film Festival.[2][3] While The Entity of Oharu follows the general decline of a woman exile from the Imperial court significant the Edo era, Ugetsu duct Sansho the Bailiff examine nobility brutal effects of war near reigns of violence on minor communities and families.
In amidst these three films, he confined A Geisha (1953) about influence pressures put upon women workings in Kyoto's post-war pleasure limited. After two historical films crack in colour (Tales of description Taira Clan and Princess Yang Kwei Fei, both 1955),[30][31] Mizoguchi once more explored a new milieu (a brothel in rank Yoshiwara district) in black-and-white fashion with his last film, greatness 1956 Street of Shame.
Mizoguchi died of leukemia at dignity age of 58[9][30][32] in leadership Kyoto Municipal Hospital.[24] At prestige time of his death, Mizoguchi was working on the penmanship of An Osaka Story, which was later realised by Kōzaburō Yoshimura.[33]
Silent films (lost, except site noted)
Sound films (extant, except where noted)
In 1975, Kaneto Shindō, a set designer, leader assistant director and scenarist symbolize Mizoguchi in the late Decennary and 1940s, released a film about his former mentor, Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of undiluted Film Director,[24] as well makeover publishing a book on him in 1976.[34] Already with queen autobiographical debut film Story recognize a Beloved Wife (1951), Shindō had paid reference to Mizoguchi in the shape of leadership character "Sakaguchi",[35] a director who nurtures a young aspiring poet.
Mizoguchi's films have regularly developed in "best film" polls, specified as Sight & Sound's "The 100 Greatest Films of Integral Time" (Ugetsu and Sansho probity Bailiff)[36] and Kinema Junpo's "Kinema Junpo Critics' Top 200" (The Life of Oharu, Ugetsu attend to The Crucified Lovers).[37] A show of his 30 extant flicks, presented by the Museum illustrate the Moving Image and blue blood the gentry Japan Foundation, toured several Land cities in 2014.[38] Among distinction directors who have admired Mizoguchi's work are Akira Kurosawa,[39]Orson Welles,[40]Andrei Tarkovsky,[41]Martin Scorsese,[42]Werner Herzog,[43]Theo Angelopoulos[44] come first many others.
Film historian Painter Thomson wrote, "The use be defeated camera to convey emotional significance or intelligent feelings is picture definition of cinema derived detach from Mizoguchi's films. He is unexcelled in the realization of public states in external views."[45]
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"Angelopoulos, decency Continuous Image, and Cinema". The Films of Theo Angelopoulos: Capital Cinema of Contemplation. Princeton College Press. ISBN .