Probably not the best film directed by Mizoguchi; In fact, It has been the least appealing to me thus far. The film is deluged with tons of political arguments and commentaries on the rights of women, rights which in those times women were bereft of. Therefore, I was not as intrigued to watch the film as I have been with other films directed by him. Nevertheless, because of the engrossing and mastered filmmaking skills of Mizoguchi, this film ends up resulting in a well-worth cinematographic ride.
The film is mostly accompanied by a bunch of resounding echoes of the discrimination against women in the background; it is actually the whole point the film tries so hard to remark, even though it slowly becomes completely apparent with one of the dialogues almost at the end and conclusion of the film. Throughout the film you will constantly encounter dialogues and images that demonstrate how unjustifiably and stupidly women were mistreated and underestimated. I imagine this film must have had a great impact on the audience of its time, as I believe this film is still a fresh portrayal of that matter.
The camera-work is what saves this film from crumbling and becoming a tad uninteresting; it is the pillar that sustains the story. I found various scenes filled with commentaries that were not really of my interest, but because of the camera angles in which they were recreated, they kept my attention. Also, some fight scenes are superb; at one point, the camera will be moving across a roof (travelling) and you will amazingly behold a battle taking place down below.
Last but not least, all there is for me to mention is that this is a riveting film, even though its topic might not be that attractive.
My Score: 8.3/10
The film is mostly accompanied by a bunch of resounding echoes of the discrimination against women in the background; it is actually the whole point the film tries so hard to remark, even though it slowly becomes completely apparent with one of the dialogues almost at the end and conclusion of the film. Throughout the film you will constantly encounter dialogues and images that demonstrate how unjustifiably and stupidly women were mistreated and underestimated. I imagine this film must have had a great impact on the audience of its time, as I believe this film is still a fresh portrayal of that matter.
The camera-work is what saves this film from crumbling and becoming a tad uninteresting; it is the pillar that sustains the story. I found various scenes filled with commentaries that were not really of my interest, but because of the camera angles in which they were recreated, they kept my attention. Also, some fight scenes are superb; at one point, the camera will be moving across a roof (travelling) and you will amazingly behold a battle taking place down below.
Last but not least, all there is for me to mention is that this is a riveting film, even though its topic might not be that attractive.
My Score: 8.3/10