Daily Movie Rec 5/12/2023
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)
"But, if I gain fame without Otoku, what good is that? Whether I succeed or fail, we're soul mates."
Directed by: Kenji Mizoguchi
Cinematography by: Yozô Fuji & Minoru Miki
Country: Japan
Plot:
Reputations, comfort, and well-being are sacrificed when a middling actor - adopted son of a great actor - falls in love with his baby brother’s nursemaid, a young woman who helps cultivate the actor’s latent talents when the two run away together.
Reasons to watch:
It’s astounding how refined Mizoguchi’s techniques were, and how intimate The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum feels despite the acclaimed director’s infrequent use of closeups. He delivers another masterclass in mise-en-scène here and his films should be required viewing for any would-be filmmakers looking to develop their visual storytelling.
The Criterion Channel
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