The Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi (1898-1956) was not only a great artist, but he was also an unusually prolific one. A powerful man (Shotaro Hanayagi) forbids his son's love for a servant. And while there is hardship, the director shows great compassion for these people and their plight. In part, that's a natural function of its story, which follows Hanayagi and Mori through a series of trials as he rebuilds his career with various rural theatrical companies. But its richness of detail evokes life to a degree that few films can match. Kenji Mizoguchi. At 140 minutes, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums was the longest sound film Mizoguchi had made to that time. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker. "The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum" - Kenji Mizoguchi (1939) Kenji Mizoguchi was at the height of his artistic powers with The Story of the Chrysanthemum ( Zangiku Monogatari , 1939), which continues the progression of his visual expressiveness shown in Osaka Elegy (1936) and Sisters of the Gion (1936). The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum, for its length and for its rawness, can be a difficult film to watch. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (Japanese adaptation) Native Title: 残菊物語 Also Known As: Zangiku Monogatari , The Tale of the Last Chrysanthemums , The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums This film will screen on Friday, December 25, 2015. share. One of the cinema’s great outpourings of imaginative energy. There's the thread of sadness, self-sacrifice, a strong feminine presence. THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS (Zangiku Monogatari) (1939, Japan, 137 min, b/w, English subtitles, Aspect ratio: 4:3, Audio: Mono) The first thing that needs to be emphasized about buying Mizoguchi Kenji’s marvelous The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums is that this Artificial Eye version is not the one to get if you only want this film. In the second part of the story, the chrysanthemums come to symbolize Elisa's femininity and sexuality. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums Not the best known of Kenji Mizoguchi's period masterpieces, but conceivably the greatest (1939). Though not the best known of Kenji Mizoguchi’s period masterpieces, this … Indeed, his utter confusion when she provides the last piece of advice about the flowers as he's driving away indicates that the story about the woman down the road without any chrysanthemums in her garden was no more than a ruse to gain Elisa's trust. Read Full Synopsis Cast + Crew Previous Cast Members More Cast Members. THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS. Last Chrysanthemum is quintessential Mizoguchi. An essential film, not just in his career, but in the history of cinema. That's not only evident in the way the story … It’s the rare film that genuinely feels like it was made in an era before film was even invented, and its depiction of that era is stunningly immediate. The following was commissioned by and written for Asia’s 100 Films, a volume edited for the 20th Busan International Film Festival (1-10 October 2015).— J.R. The portrait of Elisa caring for the flowers as though they are her children is clearly a feminine image, but her masculine image is also observed in her "hard-swept and hard-polished" home (240). The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums Synopsis. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum. , but conceivably the greatest ( 1939 ) hardship, the director shows great for. Its length and for its length and for its rawness, can be difficult... 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