Kenji Mizoguchi
In anticipation of its induction into the Criterion Collection, we look back on A Story From Chikamatsu, a film with with a sharp focus on the social phenomenons of 18th century Japan.
Kenji Mizoguchi’s The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum follows Kikunosuke and Otoku, a young couple in late 19th Century Japan. Kikunosuke is the adopted son of a famous kabuki house, and an emerging kabuki actor; Otoku is one of his family’s servants. Most people, including his adopted father, think Kikunosuke is no good as an actor, but they only criticize him behind his back.