The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums
1939
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
It seems to be a universally acknowledged truth that the subtitles for this movie are awful. I actually didn't think mine were too bad, but I don't speak Japanese so I am not exactly an expert.
Anyway, this film was a total snore. It is two and half hours long which is pushing it even for a good movie. The plot centers on a whiny couple who both go above and beyond to make their lives difficult. The woman is a wet nurse who gets fired because of her love for her employer's son. He is trying to make it as an actor and she attempts to help him. Goodness, I am getting bored just explaining it!
This is a rare film that you won't hear too much about but the directing is supposedly sublime. I was only mildly impressed and was pleased when the film was over. So there!
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
No trivia on Wikipedia or IMDb. It is just a really boring film, take my word for it. Have I ever steered you wrong?
Can we all agree that "chrysanthemum'' is one of the worst words ever?
Random scene I saw was available on YouTube:
My version actually had pretty good subtitles, too! I didn't think this film was super boring, just a little too long!
ReplyDeleteJapanese culture can seem very alien. This one was strange and, yes, boring. If it is any consolation, of the four movies in the Mizogushi box set I bought this was the best one. Zzzzzzzzz.
ReplyDeleteYikes.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm going to throw a curveball and say that I thought this was brilliant. The atmosphere of Japanese culture, the use of sound, the camera shots, all perfect. For such a long film based around what is, at heart, a pretty bare storyline, I hardly ever checked the clock (And I'm the type of person who normally looks again and again at the time every three minutes).
ReplyDeleteI had to download a separate set of subtitles for this which were 99% fine. Possibly this made the difference? Poor subtitles may enable you to logically understand what's going on but they're always going to leave you feeling detached from the piece. A bit like the band always seems to play better when you're at the front than standing by the bar at the back.