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IMDbPro

Kenji Mizoguchi(1898-1956)

  • Director
  • Writer
  • Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Kenji Mizoguchi was the greatest Japanese filmmaker who made social realistic films for the working class women throughout his career. And his most successful masterpiece is Ugetsu (1953).
Coming from a lower class family Mizoguchi entered the production company Nikkatsu as an actor specialized in female roles. Later he became an assistant director and made his first film in 1922. Although he filmed almost 90 movies in the silent era, only his last 12 productions are really known outside of Japan because they were especially produced for Venice (e.g The Life of Oharu (1952) or Sansho the Bailiff (1954). He only filmed two productions in color: Princess Yang Kwei-fei (1955) and Taira Clan Saga (1955).
BornMay 16, 1898
DiedAugust 24, 1956(58)
BornMay 16, 1898
DiedAugust 24, 1956(58)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 11 wins & 9 nominations

Photos

Kenji Mizoguchi, Kazuo Miyagawa, and Masayuki Mori in Ugetsu (1953)

Known for

Ugetsu (1953)
Ugetsu
8.2
  • Director
  • 1953
The Life of Oharu (1952)
The Life of Oharu
8.1
  • Director
  • 1952
Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, and Kinuyo Tanaka in Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Sansho the Bailiff
8.4
  • Director
  • 1954
Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyôko Kagawa, and Yôko Minamida in A Story from Chikamatsu (1954)
A Story from Chikamatsu
8.0
  • Director
  • 1954

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Director

  • Street of Shame (1956)
    Street of Shame
    • Director
    • 1956
  • Taira Clan Saga (1955)
    Taira Clan Saga
    • Director
    • 1955
  • Princess Yang Kwei-fei (1955)
    Princess Yang Kwei-fei
    • Director
    • 1955
  • Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyôko Kagawa, and Yôko Minamida in A Story from Chikamatsu (1954)
    A Story from Chikamatsu
    • Director
    • 1954
  • The Woman of Rumour (1954)
    The Woman of Rumour
    • Director
    • 1954
  • Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, and Kinuyo Tanaka in Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
    Sansho the Bailiff
    • Director
    • 1954
  • A Geisha (1953)
    A Geisha
    • Director
    • 1953
  • Ugetsu (1953)
    Ugetsu
    • Director
    • 1953
  • The Life of Oharu (1952)
    The Life of Oharu
    • Director
    • 1952
  • Musashino fujin (1951)
    Musashino fujin
    • Director
    • 1951
  • Yûji Hori, Nobuko Otowa, and Kinuyo Tanaka in Miss Oyu (1951)
    Miss Oyu
    • Director
    • 1951
  • Portrait of Madame Yuki (1950)
    Portrait of Madame Yuki
    • Director
    • 1950
  • Flame of My Love (1949)
    Flame of My Love
    • Director
    • 1949
  • Women of the Night (1948)
    Women of the Night
    • Director
    • 1948
  • Kinuyo Tanaka in The Love of Sumako the Actress (1947)
    The Love of Sumako the Actress
    • Director
    • 1947

Writer

  • Clint Enns' Ghost
    • Writer
    • Short
    • 2011
  • An Osaka Story (1957)
    An Osaka Story
    • story
    • 1957
  • Sisters of Gion
    • original idea
    • 1956
  • The Life of Oharu (1952)
    The Life of Oharu
    • Writer
    • 1952
  • Osaka Woman (1940)
    Osaka Woman
    • Writer
    • 1940
  • The Straits of Love and Hate (1937)
    The Straits of Love and Hate
    • Writer
    • 1937
  • Sisters of the Gion (1936)
    Sisters of the Gion
    • Writer
    • 1936
  • Osaka Elegy (1936)
    Osaka Elegy
    • story
    • 1936
  • The Jinpu Group
    • Writer
    • 1934
  • Gion matsuri
    • writer
    • 1933
  • Nihonbashi
    • script
    • 1929
  • Musume kawaiya
    • story
    • writer
    • 1928
  • Kane
    • Writer
    • 1926
  • Dôka-ô
    • Writer
    • Short
    • 1926
  • Nogi shôgun to Kuma-san
    • story
    • 1925

Second Unit or Assistant Director

  • Kensetsu no hitobito
    • supporting director
    • 1934

Personal details

Edit
  • Height
    • 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
  • Born
    • May 16, 1898
    • Tokyo, Japan
  • Died
    • August 24, 1956
    • Kyoto, Japan(leukemia)
  • Publicity listings
    • 9 Print Biographies
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    He is one of the rare directors who has helmed over 100 films.
  • Quotes
    I have not yet made a film that pleases me.
  • Trademarks
      He is said to be the first major feminist film-maker.
  • Nickname
    • Goteken

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