Gion Bayashi (Gion Festival Music)

Ou first look at the work of the golden age Japanese master Kenzi Mizugochi, this film was one of his last (and isn't considered major), was made just before his death, made in 1953.
If this was minor Mizugochi, we can only look forward to major. Evenly composed, with a great freshness and simplicity, the director tells his story very simply. Comparisons to Ozu are easy to make, and certainly, early on, we had the similarities in some low shots, low shots of the meals, and in the confined, long spaces. Indeed Mizugochi likes his long corridors of light that move away. He also does not follow one character, but gives us an ensemble piece.
Mizugochi is though a different director, and here he has some close work, as well as some formalist touches of reverse shots that sillouhette characters against backlights. Mizugochi may not have wanted to have cut this much, but certain camera following tricks, and the close ups, are clearly his choice. Their is also an interesting characterisation piece involving angles, with the ladies seen from below on occassion, and, especially when dressed as Geishas, then seen as towering over the camera, as it had done to them before.
As for the mis-en-scene, the simple sets let the actors give nicely restrained performances, though not lacking in petulance and emotion. The women are portrayed as carrying rods on the back, while the men are without exception portrayed as louche, drunk, turning up and intruding on the female's quiet territory.
The sadness that underpins this work is not overextended, as we do not have a lot of direct identification, or constant narrative following; it rather creeps up in small moments, it has to be inferred. Sometimes, one will only suddenly realise the horror of the situation, the clearness of the camerawork and pale sets having nearly lured one in to acceptance. This nicely mirrors the atmoshere or conformity and the lacks of alternative.
This is a powerful piece, but the power comes from the viewer's own insight rather than being stuffed in the face. The narrative pops along at a good pace and stays (that word again) fresh. Fine work, we look forward to more from Mizoguchi, of his later work and perhaps his allegedly more formally innovative earlier pieces, along with some later, more balanced, masterworks.