Ugetsu

Ugetsu:

- Is a movie
- Is in black and white
- Is Japanese
- Is set during the 1500s
- Was directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, who also made Sansho the Bailiff
- Was released in 1953
- Tells the story of two peasants who strive to make their lives better despite the warnings of their wives
- Is pretty dang harsh
- Doesn't exactly seem to be condemning ambition, but could come off that way
- Probably didn't need to make its two leads look like idiots to tell its story
- Is often pretty effectively harrowing when dealing with the consequences of its characters' actions
- Has a paranormal side to its plot that I wasn't expecting, but fits with the tone of the movie and is effectively executed for the time
- Has a really good scene where the central characters are taking a boat across a foggy lake at night
- Uses an unbelievable plot to tell a very real and gripping human story
- Is a well made, interesting film despite some issues I have with the premise
- Is another in a long line of classic Japanese dramas that I mostly enjoyed and appreciated the skill behind, though I'd hesitate to recommend to anyone who doesn't love that kind of thing
- Isn't very long and is currently streaming on Netflix, so it might be a good way to test the waters if you think you might be interested in old Asian cinema
- Will be the last old movie I write about here out of obligation for a while, because while I'm still enjoying the experience of watching all these classic films I haven't been particularly inspired to blog about them for a long time

Sansho the Bailiff

Sansho the Bailiff plays a lot like a classic Shakespearean tragedy, and there's definitely a sadness and poignancy to the film. I can't say it really drew me into its story too much, but that's partly my fault for not giving it my full attention. I just don't always go for this kind of story, which seems to be trying a little too hard at times to be depressing for its own sake. Not that trying to get any sort of particular emotion out of the viewer is wrong, it's just not generally my cup of tea. It's still an obviously well done film, made perhaps a bit early to have some of the real stylistic touches that get me interested, but still good.

I wasn't really sure why it was called what it was. Sansho is a major character, but the movie is really about two siblings that get captured after their noble father is ousted and sold into slavery. They spend years toiling and trying to get back to their family, but as can be expected nothing goes as well as the protagonists hope it will. There are some solid melodramatic performances, and truly bitter moments of sadness. I just didn't find myself caring as much as director Kenji Mizoguchi wanted me to. There's not much more I can say than that.