Kenji Mizoguchi - The Lady of Musashino

(aka "Musashino fujin" or "The Lady of Musashino" or "Lady Musashino")

directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
Japan 1951

An atmospheric evocation of post war Japan exploring the climate of social and economic change, The Lady Of Musashino tells the story of Michiko (Kinuyo Tanaka), a disillusioned young wife, trapped in a loveless marriage to her translator husband (Masayuki Mori).

Starved of any real affection, Michiko turns to her cousin (Akihiko Katayama), only to become entangled in a destructive affair. Ultimately let down by both men, Michiko in her desperation decides to take her fate into her own hands...

Mizoguchi made this film just one year before his masterpiece, 'The Life of O-Haru'. His serene visual style and meticulously detailed mise-en-scene captures the moral decadence and emotional brittleness of Japan's post war society. Exploring the divide between traditional values and a new found personal liberation, Mizoguchi contrasts the pace of life in the countryside with the bustling suburbs of the encroaching city. The superb Kinuyo Tanaka gives another outstanding performance as the self-sacrificing heroine. out of

Theatrical Release: September 14th, 1951 - Japan

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DVD Review: Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Artificial Eye - Region 2- PAL
Runtime	1:24:24
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.55 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate: .
Audio	Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby)
Subtitles	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Artificial Eye Film Company Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Mizoguchi filmography DVD Release Date: April 26th, 2004 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 12

Comments:

NOTE: LADY OF MUSASHINO Some have indicated a freezing of the image with 8 minutes remaining, although some people have claimed this did not occur on their systems. We are still working with AE to investigate if this may be isolated to a few discs in a bad batch.

NOTE: My disc froze at 2 points near the end of the film. If you have similar problems please email me at gary@2ze.com.

The image is similar to the AE "Life of Oharu", in fact it may be slightly softer. One major difference is that this has removable subtitles which are very nicely done. Dark, cloudy image with some film grain, but a lot of instances of scratches, hairs and marks on the film. This definitely has had no restoration and the source print looks to have been in bad shape. No Extras again and the audio is also poor. We really need Criterion for these Mizoguchi films. Really. out of