• Sansho Dayu (1954)
• The Water Magician (1933)
• Osaka Elegy (1936)
• Sisters of the Gion (1936)
• Women of the Night (1948)
• Miss Oyu (1951)
• The Life of Oharu (1952)
• Ugetsu (1953)

What is Mizoguchi's best known film?

THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS (1939)

Before his streak of masterpieces in the 1950s, Mizoguchi's best film by far was THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

What does Mizoguchi mean?

Mizoguchi (written: 溝口 lit. "gutter/drain entrance") is a Japanese surname.

What was Kenji Mizoguchi known for?

Kenji Mizoguchi (溝口 健二, Mizoguchi Kenji, May 16, 1898 – August 24, 1956) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Mizoguchi's work is renowned for its long takes and mise-en-scène. ... His film Ugetsu (1953) brought him international attention and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972.

What does ugetsu mean in Japanese?

Ugetsu is a compound; u means "rain", while getsu translates to "moon". It derives from a passage in the book's preface describing "a night with a misty moon after the rains", and references a noh play also called Ugetsu, which likewise employs the common contemporary symbols of rain and moon.

Introduction to Kenji Mizoguchi - The Grandmaster of Modern Japanese Cinematography

What is a Jidaigeki film?

Jidaigeki (時代劇, lit. "period drama") is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868.

What are samurai films called?

Chanbara (チャンバラ), also commonly spelled "chambara", meaning "sword fighting" movies, denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. Chanbara is a sub-category of jidaigeki, which equates to period drama.

Is Star Wars based on Japan?

Specifically, Star Wars has been heavily influenced by Japanese culture, especially samurai history and other iconography of the feudal Edo period that lasted from the early 17th century through the mid-19th century.

Are Jedi modeled after samurai?

When first ideating the structure of the Jedi, George Lucas based them off of the legendary Samurai. ... The religious, military, moral nature of the Samurai, in addition to their memorable garb and swords, bear much resemblance to the code and nature of the Jedi, even to their distinct outfits and lightsabers.

Is Jedi a space samurai?

If you needed any more evidence that Jedi are, in fact, the samurai from outer space – it might interest you to know that the actor originally earmarked for the role of the wise and worldly Obi-wan Kenobi was none other than Toshiro Mifune, who played General Rokurota in The Hidden Fortress.

What was Star Wars originally called?

The film was titled Adventures of Luke Starkiller, as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars. During production, Lucas changed Luke's last name to Skywalker and altered the title to just The Star Wars and finally Star Wars.

Do samurai still exist?

The samurai warriors do not exist today. However, the cultural legacy of the samurai exists today. The descendants of the samurai families also exist today. ... In 1868, the emperor Meiji came into power and abolished the samurai system.

Is The Seven Samurai a true story?

Unfortunately, The Magnificent Seven is not based on a true story. ... And even though The Magnificent Seven isn't based on a true story, the original is actually a remake itself. Yes, that's right. 1960's The Magnificent Seven is an old-west style remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film, Seven Samurai.

Who died in Seven Samurai?

The only three samurai survivors--Shichiroji, Katsushiro and Kambei--were the first three title character actors to die in real life: Daisuke Katô; (Shichiroji) died in 1975, Isao Kimura (Katsushiro) in 1981 and Takashi Shimura (Kambei) in 1982.

Are Westerns based on samurai films?

There's a long history of Westerns borrowing from samurai cinema and the other way around. Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa studied the work of director John Ford, which, in turn, led to many of Kurosawa's movies to be remade as Spaghetti Westerns.

Who was the best samurai of all time?

While Miyamoto Musashi may be the best-known "samurai" internationally, Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) claims the most respect within Japan.

Why is Seven Samurai a classic?

And Seven Samurai surely owes part of its popularity in the West to the fact that, in the pre-video era, it was one of the first Japanese films many viewers had ever seen. It introduced a culture that was foreign yet intriguing, and accessible to audiences weaned on Hollywood westerns.

How old is mafuyu?

A 16-year-old high school student, and the band's lead vocalist and guitarist. Though he lacks experience and professional training, Mafuyu is a naturally gifted musician and singer, and quickly becomes a skilled guitar player, singer, and songwriter.

What does Akihiko mean?

The name Akihiko is primarily a male name of Japanese origin that means Bright, Brilliant, Boy.

Is ugetsu a ghost story?

It is a ghost story and an example of the jidaigeki (period drama) genre, starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō.