Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Cast: Shōtarō Hanayagi, Kōkichi Takada, Gonjurô Kawarazaki, Kakuko Mori, Tokusaburo Arashi,
Plot: In late 19th century Tokyo, Kikunosuke Onoue, the adopted son of a legendary actor, himself an actor specializing in female roles, discovers that he is only praised for his acting due to his status as his father's heir. Devastated by this, he turns to Otoku, a servant of his family, for comfort, and they fall in love. Kikunosuke becomes determined to leave home and develop as an actor on his own merits, and Otoku faithfully follows him.
Criterion Blu-ray review: Kenji Mizoguchi’s The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)
Criterion’s new Blu-ray of Kenji Mizoguchi’s The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) makes available one of the earliest masterpieces by this great Japanese director; although the film shows its age, the director’s remarkable […]