3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
mizoguchi's portrait of the artist, February 17, 2004
This review is from: Utamaro and His Five Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In a career littered with period films this is one of the rare examples where the master Japanese filmmaker Mizoguchi Kenji portrayed an actual historical figure, though "Utamaro and His Five Women" hardly shoots for a factual representation of an artist's life. "Utamaro" does not aim to be a literal biography but is instead an imagining of the great painter in the prime of his career and his relationship with his models - a relationship that mirrors Mizoguchi's own love/hate relationship with women. This film has the formal beauty one expects from the director, but lacks much else that is memorable. Perhaps "Utamaro" is best left for admirers of the director - initiates to Mizoguchi should look for "Sisters of the Gion," "Osaka Elegy," "Ugetsu," "A Geisha" (aka "Gion Music Festival") or his masterpiece "Sansho the Bailiff" instead. The VHS of "Utamaro" from New Yorker is terribly blurry and also unfortunately out-of-print.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A True Masterpiece, April 17, 2007
This review is from: Utamaro and His Five Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I have just finished watching this film. I think it belongs up there with the very best Japanese films, and it is certainly one of the best achievements of Mizoguchi. It is impeccable - those visually haunting long shots, the sheer elegance of movements, the serene, changing flow of the narrative. For those people who understand and love cinema beyond "Meet the Fockers", this should be an exquisite experience.
Often Japanese films (Ozu) are hard for the Westerners to watch, as they seem to be too long and often stagnant. This is true to a certain extend, as cinema requires patience. In this case, there was no feeling of unnecessary protraction: the film was moving at a comfortable pace.
The quality of my tape was quite low - hiss, slightly blurred images, low contrast. Normally, I would be upset by all this. However, after a few minutes of watching I stopped to care. This is undoubtedly a true masterpiece. My highest recommendation.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, February 14, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Utamaro and His Five Women [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This movie is an odd mix of strong women, and weak men. When taken in the context of a post-war film made during the US occupation, it is an interesenting anti-censorship film.
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