'Ugetsu' Director: Kenji Mizoguchi (1953) Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray | Japanese w/ English subtitles An exquisite ghost story detailing a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant. Long takes and a sweeping camera guide us through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and fortune leads them astray from their loyal wives. Moving between the terrestrial and the otherworldly, Ugetsu reveals essential truths about the ravages of war, the plight of women, and the pride of men. Special features include:- Audio commentary by critic, filmmaker, and festival programmer Tony Rayns- Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director, a 1975 documentary by Kaneto Shindō (Onibaba, Kuroneko)- Two Worlds Intertwined, a 2005 appreciation of Ugetsu by Masahiro Shinoda (Demon Pond, Double Suicide)- Process and Production, a 2005 interview with Tokuzo Tanaka, first assistant director on Ugetsu- Interview from 1992 with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa- Essay by film critic Phillip Lopate and three short stories that inspired the film
