Chikamatsu monogatari (1954)

In 17th century Kyoto, Osan is married to Ishun, a wealthy miserly scroll-maker. When Osan is falsely accused of having an affair with the best worker, Mohei, the pair flee the city and ... See full summary »

Director:

Kenji Mizoguchi

Writers:

Monzaemon Chikamatsu (play), Matsutarô Kawaguchi (adaptation),

Stars:

Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kazuo Hasegawa	...	Mohei
Kyôko Kagawa	...	Osan
Eitarô Shindô	...	Ishun
Eitarô Ozawa	...	Sukeemon (as Saka Ozawa)
Yôko Minamida	...	Otama
Haruo Tanaka	...	Gifuya Dôki
Chieko Naniwa	...	Okô
Ichirô Sugai	...	Gembei
Tatsuya Ishiguro	...	Isan
Hiroshi Mizuno	...	Kuroki
Hisao Toake	...	Morinokoji
Kazue Tamaoki	...	Jushiro Umegaki
Kimiko Tachibana	...	Umetatsu Akamatsu
Keiko Koyanagi	...	Okaya
Sayako Nakagami	...	Osono

Storyline

In 17th century Kyoto, Osan is married to Ishun, a wealthy miserly scroll-maker. When Osan is falsely accused of having an affair with the best worker, Mohei, the pair flee the city and declare their love for each other. Ishun orders his men to find them, and separate them to avoid public humiliation.

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Plot Keywords:

love | money | scandal | honor | historical event | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

November 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Crucified Lovers

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Toutes les histoires (1988)

User Reviews

Crucified Lovers

This film was near the end of a wonderful sequence of films made near the end of his life by Mizoguchi. As Tony Raines says in the DVD extra for the Masters of Cinema edition this was a studio project that he was not wholly enthusiastic about. This shows a little in the film as it lacks some of the real flair and emotional power of some of his earlier great films. However, it shares with them his wonderful flowing camera and great cinematography. Its also a terrific story, based originally on a story from the great Japanese 17th Century playwright Monzaemon Chikamatsu (hence the Japanese name, A Tale from Chikamatsu). The screenplay is skillfully worked from the original story, which depends a lot of some pretty unlikely coincidences.

The film has a great cast, although the lead actor (and major star at the time) Kazuo Hazegawa is a little old for the role of the shy lover. Kyoko Kagawa is great as the wife of a powerful merchant who is mistakenly accused of having an affair with her servant, but then falls in love with him as they both go on the run.

As you'd expect from a Mizoguchi film, technically it is flawless, with lovely sets and some beautiful camera work. The Masters of Cinema version on DVD is a beautiful restoration. For Mizoguchi fans, this film is well worth getting, but for those who haven't seen many of his films it would be better to start with some of his earlier masterpieces.