The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) User Reviews

An incredibly directed movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 9/10 · 18 September 2008]

This is one real powerful and effectively directed movie, that also is fine looking and features some fine acting performances.

It's a quite long movie, which is not really due to its story but more in the way its sequences are handled. Director Kenji Mizoguchi maintains a very slow pace with many long static scenes in it, in which the camera doesn't move and there are no in between cuts. It does work out well though for the movie. It makes the movie visually beautiful to look at but also makes the story more powerful. It's a real fine directed movie, for which the director can not be praised enough. He handles the movie and its story really well and effectively.

The story features some typical and important Japanese themes in it, such as honor and family. Fans of Japanese cinema or Japanese culture will surely get a blast out of this movie. The entire story is set in the Japan, or Tokyo to be precise, of 1885. This means that the movie is also being filled by some wonderful looking sets and costumes.

It's also a pretty well acted movie. Normally I'm not a too big fan of acting in Asian movies but this movie feature some rather realistic performance, that don't ever go over-the-top, which also is a real accomplishment for a '30's movie in general.

Mostly due to its directing approach the movie works out so well and effectively. Because lets be honest, the story itself is actually quite simple and also not something that hasn't done before in any way. It's the reason why director Kenji Mizoguchi is still so loved and appreciated by many, even now, well over 50 years after his death. The themes are all handled well and despite being not too original, it all works out still well and refreshing.

But it's not just a style for everybody though. I can understand that some people might not like watching this movie, since it's pace is so slow and overall cinematic style is so outdated now days. Nevertheless cinematic lovers, or just fans of Japanese cinema, should be able to really appreciate this movie.

9/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Female Sacrifice !!!

[avik-basu1889 · 8/10 · 29 June 2017]

The cinema of Kenji Mizoguchi certainly has its share of uninhibited feminism, but it also has its adequate share of realism. He has portrayed Japanese women, their roles and plight in traditional and orthodox Japanese society in variously diverse ways. But he never shied away from making the viewer confront the tough facts and compromise the reality of female oppression, just for the sake of happy endings. His female characters do suffer. The character of Otoku in 'The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum' is an angelic woman who pretty much sacrifices everything for her lover and in the end gets nothing in return. This constant suffering of Otoku has actually made a number reviewers criticise the film and question its agenda. But I disagree with the detractors of the film because for me, the suffering of Otoku in spite of being selfless to a fault represents Mizoguchi's criticism of society as a whole, criticism of a society which oppresses women and enslaves them. A woman can be angelic and downright subservient like Otoku, or she can be abrasive and self-serving like Ayako in 'Osaka Elegy', the patriarchal Japanese society in the end will crush her.

The camera is incredibly fluid and the movement are at times very symmetrical with a pattern to them. This symmetry of camera movement within the same scene or separate scenes reminded me of the films and camera movements of Max Ophüls. Although the blu ray print isn't that great in comparison to restored prints of other films of the same era, one can't help but notice the incredible attention to detail when it comes to the sets and how Mizoguchi uses them with his camera. There is a very noticeable reluctance to use close-up shots, which is interesting. But for the most remarkable aspect of the film in terms of visual technique is the reliance on numerous extended unbroken, long takes which are just incredibly executed and choreographed. Mizoguchi's use of space within a particular frame is genuinely incredible.

The romance between Kikunosuke and Otoku is given a layered and complex treatment by Mizoguchi. Their relationship persists for numerous years and we see the gradual changes in their relationship dynamics. Mizoguchi ornaments the film with beautiful singular moments of humanism and emotions which is scattered throughout the film. Moments like Otoku folding Kikunosuke's jacket without being asked to, Kikunosuke's brother not recognising him, Otoku sitting alone in her room in the dark,etc. are moments that will touch the heart of every sensitive viewer.

I don't think 'The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum' is a perfect film. There are aspects to the film that are a bit too simplistic and a few scenes are stretched out a bit too long for my liking. But having said that, I still consider it to be a special film. One can't help but admire the technical brilliance on show. Mizoguchi's direction is sensitive, subtle and yet complicated in the way he composes his shots and uses his sets. The film has a feminist agenda with its heart in the right place made by one of the masters of world cinema which makes it an easy recommendation.

Why does Kenji Mizoguchi get a free critical pass on every film he directs?

[zetes · 8/10 · 8 July 2004]

No, The Story of Late Chrysanthemums is not a bad movie, not at all. In fact, it is quite good. However, it is hardly perfect. This is an Alcestis-like story about a wife, Otoku (Kakuko Mori), who sacrifices herself for the sake of her husband. The man is a young actor, Kikunosuke (Shotaro Hanayagi), who is living in the shadow of his famous father. The name earns him respect and praise, but only when he is present. When his back is turned, nobody hides the fact that they think he's terrible, and he knows it. Otoku, the wetnurse of his brother, is the first to give him honest criticism. The two fall in love and attempt to marry, but Kikunosuke's father and the rest of his family won't allow him, a man of noble birth, to retain the name if he should go through with it. He does it anyway, and spends many long years suffering as a nobody. Meanwhile, Otoku works at keeping things going; she even begs acting troupes to give her husband a job. Kikunosuke doesn't appreciate her enough, but, then again, she is selfless to a fault. She becomes downright annoying as the picture progresses: always whining, and, after every major bit of dialogue, she has a coughing fit. Let me ask those who overpraise this movie: did anyone not see the ending coming from the first ten minutes? Mizoguchi made many films that were similar in theme, but not nearly as irksome, and his actors were nearly always better. Still, the man's cinema is evolving rapidly, and his direction is downright beautiful. The cinematography flows like poetry. I like it more than I let on above, but I really do want to urge my fellow internet critics to hold the same standards to Kenji Mizoguchi that you would to any other director. 8/10.

Possibly Mizoguchi's finest pre-war film

[Kalaman · 30 July 2002]

Along with "Sisters of the Gion"(1936) and "Osaka Elegy"(1936), "Zangiku monogatari" is a strong candidate for Kenji Mizoguchi's finest pre-war film. It is one of the greatest and most beautiful films I have ever seen - a profoundly sublime, heartbreaking love story between a Kabuki actor(Shotaro Hanayagi) and working class servant (Kakuko Mori) who makes sacrifices to herself to ensure his theatrical success. The film, filled with dazzling long takes and rich Sternbergian compositions, centers on Mizoguchi's characteristic theme: the shallowness of men and the generosity of women. Rarely has a Mizoguchi film seem at once so sublime and devastating in its impact. The final sequence alone is among the finest in all of cinema.

My favorite Mizoguchi remains "The Life of Oharu"(1952); "Zangiku monogatari" is not very far behind.

powerful in how it takes its time and builds to dramatic crescendos

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 11 October 2016]

Mizoguchi's 1939 masterwork is one that sneaks up on you to where its ending is so devastating because of how Mizoguchi never gives you that tight two shot or intense close ups. You have to WATCH this film but it can bring you in unexpectedly; shots at first may appear to be languid, veering maybe towards an early Bela Tarr film. But not too soon after it begins Mizoguchi's feminist (scatch that, simply a deeply felt humanist) view of the world, that oppression from familial obligations and guilt creates the tragedy of it all.

The Kabuki and theatrical performances were the only parts I felt things lag a bit for me; I readily admit not being from Japan or understanding this anachronistic style (ironically but correctly Mizoguchi ups his pace for cutting in these scenes, there are more cuts and more reactions from the audience). I nevertheless think this is so powerful because of the purity of its story, that it is challenging the hierarchical structure of the period while coming to a conclusion in its final section where artistic triumph and tragic fate collide.

Some may actually read into Osuka that she is a "doormat", like how can she look past anything she wants all for a man who, for much of the story - a man cant live up to his own standards as an actor, or to his families demands for him to be the next BIG actor in line, so he leaves home to cut his own path, with this woman who was once his little brothers wet nurse as his lover but more importantly his booster - lacks confidence. But I found myself rooting for him and finding that he was not unsympathetic; when he does get angry and pissy at one point the feeling is not hate but one of "come on you can put it together! Do it for her if nothing else!"

There is suffering, quite so much so. But is showing the status quo, how men use women, being a critique here or simply showing it as it was/is in 1939 and before? So much of Last Chrysanthemum is painful to watch, yet in a way that I can never pull away from. A lot of it comes back to how he uses the camera and editing - take a key moment between these two people near the end and he never goes for the easy close up or two shot, we have to see this from one end of the room, but the emotion is laid bare - and that everyone in the cast knows how to play for it being about the firmness, even sanctuary nature, of the status quo.

At times melodramatic as any soap but directed with the fluidity and timing of a confident old master (Mizoguchi was 40 when he made this, and really John Ford and his long, absorbing masters and mediums are a better comparison than Tarr), this was an experience that brought me in gradually from one melancholic but realistically drawn scene after another. Certainly not something to watch to get in a "happy" mood, but then when is with this filmmaker? (still not quite so soul crushing as Sansho the Bailiff, but close).

Mizoguchi's groundbreaking tour de force.

[javinry · 10/10 · 29 March 2019]

A towering achievement, a tour de force of cinematic magic. A film that was ahead of it's time just as Jean Renoir and Orson Welles those years... The beautiful very long takes, one after another with elegance, emotions, and not a single close-up take, were something never seen before 1939. One of the greatest and most groundbreaking films ever made.

It's just a shame that this film is not famous, even in the expert cannon. The first decade of Mizoguchi as a filmmaker is overlooked. If you love cinema do yourself a favour and see this film.

A Yasujirô Ozu type of movie that is not directed by Yasujirô

[jordondave-28085 · 8/10 · 28 April 2023]

(1939) The Story OF The Last Chrysanthemums (In Japanese with English subtitles) DRAMA

To describe this film, one have to expect something from Yasujirô Ozu's ballpark, since it centers on a young couple's forbidden relationship. And it's a different kind of movie that's not like director, Kenji Mizoguch's "Ugetsu monogatari" or "Sansho The Baliff". But, before I go on, I just want to say that movies about very young innocent relationships starting out are usually met by three obstacles whether it's about real life, like Lady Diana or otherwise. And if you can't adapt then don't watch it since you'll probably never get into it. The obstacles I've been noticing that's most apparent are usually tradition, custom and honor. For instance, in "Sabrina"-it's custom, and on some royal heir movie like "The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg"- it's tradition. Adapted from the novel written by Shôfû Muramatsu centers on a young actor by the name of Kikunosuke Onoue (Shôtarô Hanayagi) falling for the family maid, Otoku (Kakuko Mori) since she was the only one honest with him about his bad acting, in comparison to the people who're around him who are always sucking up to him up, just because he's connected to the family name. And after a close encounter, mom then fires her after a long time of faithful service solely for that reason since people are already talking, with Kikunosuke's dad at the same time forbidding him to ever see Otoku ever again. He, of course rebels, and it was at this point is when his dad kicks him out of the family household while young Kikunosuke strives to become a better actor with Otoku at his side. Anybody who understands theatre in general will probably be much more involved than the viewers sticking to movies, since it also involves a traveling troupe. In comparison to Ozu movies, this movie takes risks by using the centered protagonist by using him to take a step further by rebelling the custom rather than accepting it which doesn't happen in Japanese movies often. 3.

Almost a masterpiece

[Legendarysnake1 · 9/10 · 9 October 2021]

I was one of those who watched this movie thanks to the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die . I've always liked watching really old movies, and I was curious about what a 1939 Japanese movie would be like, after the start of the Second World War.

Seeing the journey of a failed adult foster child criticized by everyone behind his back was breathtaking.

The charisma of actress KAKUKO MORI as Otoku was to fall in love. She is not a pretty actress but she has a voice that makes you immediately care about everything she says, for her sincerity, kindness and willingness to want to help other people, putting others above herself.

Well if you read the synopsis of the movie, it already delivers the whole story on a platter.

The way the movie was directed is something that's been lost on current movies and it's one of the reasons I like to watch old movies. Uncut scenes. Long scenes where the actors are just... acting. No cuts or sudden camera placement changes. And what an act. The best performance is that of Otoku, everything she says and says catches the viewer's attention.

+spoilers at the end of the movie Well one of the boldest things about the movie is its ending.

Otoku unfortunately made a bad decision. She shouldn't have in the final arc of the film disappeared and placed herself below her lover's career. If she had gone with him to his performance, his acting would still have been good and impressed the spectators. And she would have been treated at the best doctors in Tokyo. Unfortunately this beautiful and bad decision caused her health deterioration and her death in a discreet way towards the end of the film.

Would be cool to see an alternative happy ending. It was a happy unhappy ending.

To finish the review, i found it weird how there was not a single kiss scene and why the hell they traveled together for 5 years and didnt have a kid? Didnt they...?

The bored and the beautiful

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 6/10 · 25 April 2023]

Fantastically shot and definitely ahead of its time when it comes to its technical qualities (well, the visuals more so than the sound, but you get used to the kind of muffled dialogue pretty quickly). You could tell me it was from the 1950s, maybe even the early 1960s, and I'd believe you.

But it was also so boring and left me incredibly cold. It's like a 9/10 for how it's made, but a 3/10 for how it's written and paced. I'm surprised and jealous that other people seem to get so much out of it. That may sound shallow, or it may seem unfair to say those things, but to me, it's a beautiful and impressive snooze of a film.

nope

[treywillwest · 8/10 · 21 November 2018]

This was probably Mizoguchi's most ambitious film up to this point in his career, the first of his period-piece epics. It is a tad more conservative in its vision of Japanese culture than his post-war masterpieces of the early 1950s, but this is pregnant with the most prominent themes from those films.

As with the later films, the sacrifices and suffering of women is focused on. Again, the protagonists, both female and male, are thrust out of the confines and comforts of traditional Japanese society and must endure the cruel freedom of life on the margins. But whereas in Ugetsu, Sansho the Bailiff, and, to some extent, Life of Oharu, the characters never fully return to their assigned place in the social order, finding instead a divine freedom in their marginalization, here both man and woman realize their intended fate and return to the flock. The place of the male in this order is a far more attractive one, of course.

Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is aesthetically as advanced as anything that came after it by it's director. Some of the tracking shots, bringing to mind traditional Japanese scroll painting, are as beautiful as anything Mizoguchi ever devised, or would be were the print in better shape, even after its recent restoration.

Fine Melodrama; Horrible Print!

[net_orders · 7/10 · 25 September 2016]

(Editorial Note: Criterion folks, this exceptional film "cries out" for digital restoration. Commercially releasing it (on HULU) in this condition is deplorable!) Cinematography = eight (8) stars; interior set design = nine (9) stars; subtitles = five (5) stars; sound = four (4) stars; restoration = zero (0). Director Kenji Mizoguchi has created a back-stage photo play about all-male Kabuki (dance combined with drama) troupes circa mid 1800s. This is essentially a Kabuki-flavored movie (see below) about performing Kabuki. Popular Kabuki actors are depicted as the rock stars of their time complete with extravagant promotional parades, parasitic "yes men," and groupies. There are no surprises in the scenario. All outcomes are telegraphed well in advance. You do not have to be a fan of Kabuki (an acquired taste?) to enjoy this film. Kabuki performances are kept to a minimum except for the last third of the film which does suffer a bit from Kabuki overkill to underline a plot point (easy remedied by the fast-forward button on your remote!). Because of the absence of restoration, facial expressions of actresses and actors can not be determined (even in close-ups), hence depriving the viewer of seeing complete performances. Actress Kakuko Mori plays a totally self-sacrificing character (from under-appreciated wet nurse to scapegoat actor's wife); she easily steals every scene she is in with understated bravado performances. Not so much for leading actor Gonjurô Kawarazaki who seems to have something other than acting on his mind (being called up for military service, perhaps?). Mizoguchi uses open-wall interior sets which enable the camera to follow actresses and actors as they move from room to room and floor to floor in single long takes (no cuts). (These are some of the best--if not the best--dolly (tracking) shots in Japanese sound films to date!) (The Director's long takes foreshadow what Hitchcock used to prevent Selznick from re-editing his films.) Perhaps most notable is Mizoguchi's remarkable death bed scene (at the film's end) which goes on for seven uninterrupted minutes or so. This technique can be a double-edged sword, however. The middle of the film sags precisely because of overly long takes of performers doing very little (or nothing). Cinematography is also exceptionally creative for exterior scenes with long-tracking point-up shots predominating. The score has a heavy flavor of Kabuki music; except for the opening credits, it consist of a solitary background singer, drums, Shamisen, and other instruments commonly used in Kabuki performances. Opening credits are accompanied by a small under-rehearsed orchestra with frequent audio distortions. Microphone placement often picks up loud thumping of actors' feet on interior-set floors. Subtitles are close enough, but none of the solitary background singer's lyrics are translated. Highly recommended especially when digitally restored. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Great romantic movie

[OrrinBob · 9/10 · 17 August 2013]

First, this is a tragic, tear-jerking love story, less complex than some other Mizoguchi films, but I can't believe it won't tear your heart out a little. I'm fairly ignorant of Japanese cultural history, but the film convincingly plays out the social structure of Kabuki theater troupes, with prominence dependent on a family name, back-biting hangers-on, a harsh distant ruling father, and a bevy of servants. Mostly masterfully staged; the Kabuki sequences with distant long takes add poignancy and irony to the 'real-life' drama of the actor and his ill-matched lover. I disagree with other reviewers who found the lead actress cloying; I interpreted Otoku's devotion as a carryover from traditional Japanese class structure, and she coughed pretty rarely until the last part of the film. Actually, for 'realism' she should've been coughing more.

Tuxedos and bowlers sometimes are sported, but otherwise Western influences over life within the plot seem pretty rare. OTOH, the whole film seems to exhibit the influence of the Western romantic tradition--I don't know how much Japanese tradition is parallel to that. The main plot-line does have some surprising and/or unfortunate elements (SPOILERS): the way Kiku finds Otoku, the way Kiku gets convinced to return home, his lack of effort to find her in Tokyo, his father's final acceptance, Otoku's death without Kiku being there to weep--surely he knew she would die while he was away.

That being said, the videotape I viewed was faded, faces were indistinct, scenes may have been deleted, and the subtitles were extremely bad. It's actually lucky the plot was simple and fairly predictable, or the lack of subtitles for many stretches of conversation, or their obvious inaccuracy, would have spoiled the film--they surprisingly did not. Yes, it's predictable, but so is Shakespeare or Tokyo Story, and frankly, the degree of predictability is culturally interesting.

a very hard film to rate

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 18 December 2005]

I wish I spoke fluent Japanese--then I am sure I could have enjoyed the movie so much more. That's because this movie had horrible subtitles and often sentences or more were simply left untranslated or 50 words in Japanese were distilled down to only 3 or 4 words. In essence, the translators were very lazy and did a terrible job. Some might not mind this, but since I am a very avid fan of Japanese films it seriously detracted from the experience. This does NOT mean it is unwatchable or you should avoid it. In fact, if anyone knows of a better version available to Western audiences, let me know.

The plot itself seems very familiar and is reminiscent of some other films, as its main ideas are respect for your elders and unrequited love. The main character is madly in love with his step-brother's nursemaid and the family strongly opposes it. I don't really think I need to divulge more but felt that the actors did a fine job and the story itself was interesting.

UPDATE: There is a new DVD version from Criterion and I assume it's much better than the DVD I saw. Criterion always seems to do good jobs with subtitles on their film releases.

A Classic heartbreaker of Artist's Life. Undoubtedly, Kenji Mizogushi's Greatest Pre-War film.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 8/10 · 3 April 2021]

Zangiku Monogatari / The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) : Brief Review -

A Classic heartbreaker of Artist's Life. Undoubtedly, Kenji Mizogushi's Greatest Pre-War film. Mizogushi is one of the most respected director of his time, not only in Japanese cinema but also all over the globe. Many people know him for films like Ugetsu (1953), Sansho The Bailiff (1954), The Crucified Lovers (1956) and many others but it is always important to see the early great works of any acclaimed director because that's where he starts exploring new ideas and techniques with unshaken dedication. I am glad to have seen his early work and in my opinion, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum is far better than those three highly appreciated films. The adopted son of a legendary actor, and an aspiring star himself, turns to his infant brother's wet nurse for support and affection - only for her to give up everything for her beloved's glory. The film is a true heartbreaker in every sense when it comes to the climax and the theatrical backdrop also provides it a metaphorical touch. I have seen many other classics which has been inspired from this film but the original always remains special and best. Shotaro Hanayagi and Kakuko Mori create a heart-touching chemistry and theirs perfomances make it even more lovable. The side roles are very important and powerful in the film and every actor gives his best, even in small roles. Hats off to Kenji Mizoguchi for creating such an emotional film despite using new methods of filmmaking such as long shots, one take frames and refusals to give close-up shots. It's just fabulous in every department that it's very difficult to find a mistake but as a cine lover i love these moments when you don't have any complaints for the film. Overall, a Cult Classic Japanese Flick that shouldn't be missed for anything.

RATING - 8.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Kenji Mizoguchi shows the beauty and tragedy, both faces of sacrifice

[mikeluriarte · 10/10 · 18 January 2020]

Masterfully directed, Kenji Mizoguchi shows the beauty and tragedy, both faces of sacrifice. The beauty of sacrificing entirely for someone and the tragedy of becomeing nothing else than that, and accepting, at the end of the day, every consecuence of It. This is one of this cases in which, somehow, the movie manages to get deep inside me. It was really nice to get the chance to see this masterpiece of altruistic human solidary act on big screen.

Interesting but hardly great - Japan "Gone with the Wind"

[Od1n · 6/10 · 23 October 2009]

I've read some very exciting comments about this picture and in the middle of the movie I realized how I'm disappointed a bit. Keep your expectations low, lads. It's not Mizoguchi's screenplay like "Sisters of Gion", this movie based on a book. Classic story, very predictable, with straightforward acting, especially lead woman with tears and tempted voice all the time.

Although a beautiful visual look, I couldn't connect myself with the movie. Unlike to "Naniwa ereji" (Osaka Elegy, 1936) and "Gion no shimai" (Sisters of the Gion, 1936), which are also very simple, but truthful and realistic, with sudden thought provocative endings. I prefer and recommend this movies ahead of "Zangiku monogatari".

Mitoguchi's Pre-WW2 Classic Lets Camera Linger on the Human Drama

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 27 March 2024]

No one could hold a static shot longer than Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi-and be highly praised for it. In what is regarded as his pre-World War Two masterpiece, Mizoguchi's October 1939 "The Last of the Chrysanthemums," the 140-minute movie contains half the shots of what a normal Hollywood film has, giving credence to his moniker, the "one scene-one long shot" director. Mizoguchi avoided close-ups, preferring his camera to be like a fly on the wall, observing at a distance the drama unfolding in front. He spiced this with an occasional dolly move from one room to another.

Film reviewer James Berardinelli observed, "Opting for long, unbroken takes from mid-range (there are no close-up), the director relied on dollies and cranes to all the camera to move seamlessly from one location to another. Although this approach creates a distance between the viewer and the characters and makes us more like voters than participants, it does nothing to diminish the story's emotional impact."

During one crucial sequence where Kikunosuke Onoe, aka Kiku (Shotaro Hanayagi in his movie debut), the adopted son of popular kabuki actor Kikugoro Onoue (Gonjuro Kawarazaki), leaves his family, Mizoguchi sustains a single nine-minute shot moving from one room to the other to capture the anger of his father. At the same time he shows Kiku's mother emoting how sad she is on her son's departure. The sequence, notes film critic John Pym, is a great example of Mizoguchi's use of a sparse interior "offset by shots of notably uncluttered spaces," featuring his static shots "crammed with human detail."

Mizoguchi's film, based on a short story by Shofu Muramatsu, opens with Kiku stinking up the joint acting in onnagata dramas, where he plays female roles just like his father. Everyone is afraid to tell Kiku his acting is bad, except for Otoku (Kakuko Mori), a nurse in his father's household. She's fired from her job for being too close to Kiku, who wants to marry her. After Kiku leaves his parents, he sticks to acting, spending many years with Otoku, who becomes his common law wife. Because his level of acting pays so little, he experiences dire poverty for the sake of honing his craft. Finally, his performances are much improved, but he needs help from his father to get the opportunities to prove he's a much greater talent than he was previously. The elder Onoue agrees, with one stipulation: he breaks from Otoku. This sets up one of the saddest endings in Japanese cinema, according to several critics.

Mizoguchi's films emphasize women's plight in Japanese society, both historically and in contemporary times. "The Last of the Chrysanthemums" harkens back to the late 1800's in Tokyo and Osaka. "With more said by showing less, operatic heartbreak and sentimentality and anger are pictured in formal precision, not a moment or scene or actor out of place," writes film critic Donald Levit.

"The Last of the Chrysanthemums" was ranked by BBC critics as the 88th best non-English film in the history of cinema, while the British Film Institute selected it as one of the top ten best films ever made. Mizoguchi, who is largely known for his later works such as 1953's "Ugetsu" and 1954 "Sansho the Baliff," has this 1939 motion picture included in '1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.'

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 21 June 2013]

From director Kenji Mizoguchi (Sansho the Bailiff), this Japanese film was featured in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, obviously I had not read anything about prior to watching it, but that didn't matter, I was watching whatever. Basically, set in Tokyo in 1888, Kikunosuke Onoue (Shôtarô Hanayagi) is the adoptive son of an important famous Kabuki actor, he is the heir to his father, and that he finds out is the only reason he is praised as an actor himself. Behind his back the acting troupe complain about how bad he is, and the only person to be honest and talk to him about it is wet-nurse Otoku (Kakuko Mori), but she the family fire her. Kikunosuke is forbidden from seeing her because the family want to avoid the gossip that would be caused about one of them having a relationship with a servant. He has fallen in love with Otoku however, so he leaves home to be with her and try to find a better living as an actor outside of Tokyo, and also to try and gain respect back from his family. Also starring Gonjurô Kawarazaki as Kikugoro Onoue V, Kôkichi Takada as Fukusuke Nakamura, Ryôtarô Kawanami as Eiju Dayu, Nobuko Fushimi as Onaka, geisha, Benkei Shiganoya as Genshun Amma, Yôko Umemura as Osata, Kikugoro's wife, Tamitaro Onoue as Tamizo Onoue, Kisho Hanayagi as Tamisaburo Onoue and Tokusaburo Arashi as Shikan Nakamura. The acting is fine, the costumes and sets are good, and the long takes are interesting most of the time, I will be honest and say that some of the story was a little difficult to follow and keep up with, but I can see that this does represent well the insight into the roles of women in Japanese society, overall I agree it is a worthwhile period melodrama. Very good!

melodrama carried with a poised pace

[lasttimeisaw · 6/10 · 22 November 2013]

I am a tyro in view of Japanese cinema (one reason why I often feel ashamed to call myself a cinema buff), and among Mizoguchi's filmography, my only previous viewing is his later epic saga SANSHO THE BAILIFF (1954, 7/10), a haunting revenge tale with a cogent message about sacrifice and redemption, whereas in THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUMS, which is shot much earlier, pre-WWII, the same ideas have been incubated through a love story barred by the class gulf, Otoku (Mori) is a symbol of devotion and forbearance and Kikunosuke (Hanayagi) is a man of moral integrity, occasionally under the affliction of hardship, he is worn out and evinces rather disappointing male chauvinism, but she accepts and assimilates all these negative effluvia until the ultimate sacrifice, as long as Kikunosuke can regain his social status and fame through his bona-fide acting after years of studying and training. What a role model couple, depicted as the kernel of the mentality of Japan at that time, behind every successful man there is a capable wife, who doesn't has her own ranking or vocation, but should be fully devoted and (if lucky) intelligent to assist her husband (maybe now is still the same), a standpoint may sound outdated and even putrid nowadays.

At the first scene, the novel milieu of Kabuki brings immediate exotic flavor to foreign viewers, but it is hard to be truly appreciated in an outsider's eyes, I can not tell the qualitative leap of Kikunosuke's acting skill, plus the orbit of the plot is stereotyped and take the twist and turn for granted, Hanayagi and Mori's acting is too hammy for my taste as well.

But impressively the film contrives outstanding mise en scène, the camera never dare to be too near its characters, as we watch from a distance, everything is presented in an implicit rhythm with gracefulness and subtlety, which wholesomely leads its viewers through the voyage of a tearjerker behind the times with its mellifluous soundtrack sets the mood.

I might feel a bit disheartened about this film, but it never too late to excavate the treasure of Japanese cinema, so I will keep up and continue to divulge my true feelings after watching them.

PS: one interesting note, I find it rather peculiar to put salt on watermelon, at least not in my culture, the mixed salty and sugary flavor doesn't seem to be scrumptious to me, anyone who has the experience can give an explanation?

Impactful story, but a stretched movie

[mieriks · 6/10 · 6 January 2024]

This movie, about the adopted son of a legendary actor, and an aspiring star himself, who turns to his infant brother's wet nurse for support and affection - only for her to give up everything for her beloved's glory, is an okay drama movie.

The inner story of this movie is both beautiful and tragic. I'm not familiar with Japanese history, but the movie represents the contradictions of people's lives in a good way overall. I interpret Okotu as the protagonist and Kikunosuke Onoue as the antagonist while I still hoped for the best for both of them. Kikunosuke has a much higher position than Okotu, and the romance between them is beautiful. They get married at last, but things go upside down. Kikunosuke changes and isn't the same as Okotu remembers. But still, Okotu does everything in her power to make Kikunosuke's career successful while her body slowly gets weaker. She sacrifices everything, and once Kikunosuke reaches his top, she dies with relief and love. I found this last part really impactful because it's so tragic.

The story aside, the cinematography is effective, especially the wide shots, and the movie is mostly visually appealing. However, I think the movie itself is too stretched. The actual dialogues and elements that set the plot in motion are quite compelling, but the scenes in-between, like the eating, rehearsing and dancing felt like forever sometimes. I think the movie should have been more compact because I'm left with a mixed experience.

Despite its compelling narrative and visually appealing cinematography, this movie falters in its pacing, leaving with a mixed impression. While the inner story of Okotu's unwavering love and sacrifices for Kikunosuke's success is both beautiful and tragic, the movie's protracted scenes and extended sequences detract from the emotional impact of the central conflict. The movie could benefit from a more concise narrative, allowing for a more focused and impactful exploration of its poignant themes.

Slow-moving and a bit timeworn, but still lovely to watch

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 30 January 2024]

Kiku (Shotaro Hanayagi), a proud but mediocre kabuki actor from a prominent theatre family is feted to his face but mocked behind his back. The only honest criticism comes from Otoku (Kakuko Mori), a young servant woman but when Kiku falls in love with her, he is rejected by his adopted father and, to prove himself (and the value of Otoku's support), he decides to establish a reputation as an actor independently of his family's influence. The trope of 'defiant love between classes' is culturally universal (and well-trodden) and Kenji Mizoguchi's theatre-melodrama doesn't add much new (other than, to my eyes, the kabuki venue). Otoku is young, sincere and vulnerable but, as the story progresses, not much is done to develop her character beyond 'long-suffering loyalty'. Kiku is a bit more volatile but the resolution to the young couple's travails comes off as overly convenient and the story's conclusion borders on the maudlin. The film is lauded for Mizoguchi's direction and the striking cinematography, especially the long-takes and 'dolly shots' and, despite my reservations about the plot and characters (which likely reflect my 'Western' perspective 85 years after its release), I found it eminently watchable (albeit a bit slow-going). Needful viewing for anyone interested in early Japanese cinema or in Mizoguchi's oeuvre (but not in the same league (IMO) as his post-WW2 works such as 'Ugetsu' (1953) or 'Sansho the Bailiff' (1954)).