Kenji Mizoguchi - 1953
The camera is getting closer with each one (which is silly, as this is before 'Sancho' in time, but anyway). Moving to quite a few at least mid shots; perhaps it is because it is modern day, less a tale, more a social analysis. It does keep the Mizoguchi looking and looked at, but it does some things differntly. This shift, when I think of my own reaction to it and something similar in Kurosawa, usually finds me an advocate of at least the equality of the modern day, against some critical opinion.
What I like, and I like this film very much, is how very specific it is. There is a kind of humour here, in the details; the lawyer, the legal codes given, the way the horror of the situation is reduced to these exact formulations (also congratulate the oppenness; anything better than Hollywood).
We have crushing fate again, which has cause, effect, solution, but is so built in as to be inevitable. It is pretty clear where Mizoguchi stands, hating the Geisha principles. One more thing; he can cut in, he does sometimes move in for tears. Just not always.
No comments:
Post a Comment