Chikamatsu Monogatari/Uwasa No Onna DVD

Chikamatsu Monogatari -
Based on a centuries old tale with roots in real events, Chikamatsu Monogatari (A Tale From Chikamatsu, aka The Crucified Lovers) tells the hauntingly tragic story of a forbidden love affair between a merchant's wife, Osan (Kyoko Kagawa), and her husband's employee, Mohei (Kazuo Hasegawa), in an era when the punishment for adultery was crucifixion. When a series of innocent events lead to the false accusation of an affair between Osan and Mohei, the accused pair are forced to flee an almost certain death sentence. On the run, the outlaw couple grow closer together, drawn inexorably towards the romantic crime of which they are accused. In the hands of Mizoguchi, Chikamatsu Monogatari depicts two people caught up in a constricted world where true love and social obligation are at odds. His portrayal of the lovers' dilemma led famed director Akira Kurosawa to describe the film as "a great masterpiece that could only have been made by Mizoguchi."

Uwasa No Onna -
Released the same year, Uwasa No Onna (The Woman In The Rumour) offers a contrasting portrait of attitudes and mores concerning love and relationships. Set in modern Kyoto, Hatsuko (Kinuyo Tanaka, star of countless Mizoguchi films, in her last role for director with whom she was often romantically linked) is the ageing madam of her own geisha house. When Hatsuko ends up pursuing the same man as her daughter, Yukiko (Yoshiko Kuga), both women are forced to confront their attitudes towards each other and the family business.

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