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{ "item_title" : "The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum", "item_author" : [" Criterion Collection "], "item_description" : "The noted Japanese critic Tadao Sato defined the shinpa tragedy, a staple of Japanese dramaturgy, as the grand display of the ego or will of a woman who endures her fate in tears. An example of the genre, this film stars Kakuko Mori as Otoku, the lowly wet-nurse of a powerful family of kabuki actors. One of the members of the family, Kikunosuke Onoue (Shôtarô Hanyagi), comes to realize that his acting is praised only because of his influential connections, while other actors complain of his incompetence behind his back. When Otoku and the despondent actor begin to see each other, his father forbids the relationship, due to her low status, but Kikunosuke is in love with the wet-nurse and willing to accept banishment from his family. Realizing that her new husband is talented but undisciplined, Otoku suggests that the couple leave Tokyo, so that Kikunosuke can continue to train in the kabuki tradition far from the reach of his family's influence. Director Kenji Mizoguchi deploys his typical distancing techniques to extract the sentimentality from this exceptionally moving story, which is perhaps his most complete development of one of his favorite themes: a woman who sacrifices everything for the gifted man she loves.", "item_img_path" : "https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/76/3067876.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "29.95", "our_price" : "29.95", "club_price" : "29.95", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10" } }
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum|Criterion Collection

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum

Criterion Collection
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Overview

The noted Japanese critic Tadao Sato defined the shinpa tragedy, a staple of Japanese dramaturgy, as "the grand display of the ego or will of a woman who endures her fate in tears." An example of the genre, this film stars Kakuko Mori as Otoku, the lowly wet-nurse of a powerful family of kabuki actors. One of the members of the family, Kikunosuke Onoue (Shôtarô Hanyagi), comes to realize that his acting is praised only because of his influential connections, while other actors complain of his incompetence behind his back. When Otoku and the despondent actor begin to see each other, his father forbids the relationship, due to her low status, but Kikunosuke is in love with the wet-nurse and willing to accept banishment from his family. Realizing that her new husband is talented but undisciplined, Otoku suggests that the couple leave Tokyo, so that Kikunosuke can continue to train in the kabuki tradition far from the reach of his family's influence. Director Kenji Mizoguchi deploys his typical distancing techniques to extract the sentimentality from this exceptionally moving story, which is perhaps his most complete development of one of his favorite themes: a woman who sacrifices everything for the gifted man she loves.

Awards:

Main Cast & Crew:
Kenji Mizoguchi - Director

Details

    DVD Format
  • Format: DVD
  • Color Format: B&W
  • UPC: 715515186117
  • Genre: DRAMA
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Release Date: September 2016

Movie Reviews

Synopsis:
A kabuki actor has a falling out with his father after falling in love with a servant girl in this highly acclaimed study of love and duty.

Notes:
The actor who director Kenji Mizoguchi wanted to play the lead was a veteran 40-year old stage actor, who needed to appear 20 in the earlier part of the film. To hide his age, Mizoguchi decided use mainly long shots taken through a wide-angle lens. This impromptu solution would come to profoundly change the director's art. Mizoguchi claimed that only with this work did he feel that he had finally made his own film.

BAM Customer Reviews