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残菊物語 (The Story Of The Last Chrysanthemums)

Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Year: 1939
Run-time: 2 hr 22 min

- This is a stellar romance from Mizoguchi, often called his best pre-war piece, but it's most fascinating for being a frank description of Kabuki actors in the 19th century. It's very hard to understand as a Westerner, but the strange culture and art form is crucial to understanding the story, which centers on an actor and adopted son of a famous Kabuki idol (who will pass on his famous name) struggling to live up to his inheritance, and getting honest criticism from the wet nurse to a biological son of the same actor.  It's a credit to Mizoguchi that the strength of the story passes unscathed through the culture shock.

- Although the patient and ever-enduring female lead that is a staple of Mizoguchi films is here, the male lead has a little more backbone than usual, and develops in a fascinating way over the course of the story, which takes place over multiple years and goes through highs and lows of the actor's career. This is very long for a Japanese film of this era, but the run-time pays off in some excellent character evolution.
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