I’ve seldom been as inspired by a film depicting the simple dignity of an artist’s life (in spite of, but most especially, due to the tumultuous events and often, hostile enviornment surrounding them) as I have been by Kenji Mizoguchi’s Utamaro and His Five Women. Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev (1966) and Paul Leduc’s Frida, Naturaleza Viva (1986) come to mind. Similar to the approach in these two films Mizoguchi looks at a series of events in the life of the famous wood-block painter, Kitagawa Utamaro, through the lens of the artist’s eye – as though the artist, himself, is interpreting the events. As in the other two films mentioned, the enviornment dictates the tone of the film, which in this case is the red-light district of seventeenth century Tokyo. It gives the film a levity and sense of humor while maintaining a passion and delicacy exemplified (among other things) by Utamaro’s punctiliousness and admirable devotion to his life’s work. Here is Mizoguchi in great form.
by Marlin Tyree | Source: New Yorker Video VHS
29 May 2007 5:45 PM | Submit Comment
