Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (ある映画監督の生涯 溝口健二の記録, Aru eiga-kantoku no shōgai Mizoguchi Kenji no kiroku) is a 1975 Japanese documentary film on the life and works of director Kenji Mizoguchi. It was produced, written and directed by Kaneto Shindō.[1][2]
| Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director | |
|---|---|
 Japanese poster | |
| Kanji | ある映画監督の生涯 溝口健二の記録 |
| Revised Hepburn | Aru eiga-kantoku no shōgai Mizoguchi Kenji no kiroku |
| Directed by | Kaneto Shindō |
| Written by | Kaneto Shindō |
| Produced by | Kaneto Shindō |
| Narrated by | Kaneto Shindō |
| Cinematography | Yoshiyuki Miyake |
| Edited by |
|
| Distributed by | Art Theatre Guild |
Release date | |
Running time | 150 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Synopsis
In 39 interviews[1] with actors and actresses, writers, producers and staff members, interspersed with film excerpts and stills, Shindō recounts the life and career of his friend and mentor Mizoguchi.
- Interviewees
- Masaichi Nagata
- Takako Irie
- Masashige Narusawa
- Eijirō Yanagi
- Dai Arakawa
- Machiko Kyō
- Matsuji Ohno
- Eitaro Ozawa
- Gengo Ohto
- Eitarō Shindō
- Kakuko Mori
- Kumeko Urabe
- Seiichiro Uchikawa
- Tazuko Sakane
- Kyōko Kagawa
- Daisuke Itō
- Motohisa Ando
- Kenichi Okamoto
- Kiyohiko Ushihara
- Tatsuo Sakai
- Eiji Nakano
- Yoshikata Yoda
- Kazuo Miyagawa
- Ayako Wakao
- Yasuzo Masumura
- Fumiko Yamaji
- Tadaoto Kainoshō
- Isuzu Yamada
- Hideo Tsumura
- Matsutarō Kawaguchi
- Toshio Itoya
- Michiyo Kogure
- Shigeru Miki
- Ganjirō Nakamura
- Kinuyo Tanaka
- Yoshikazu Hayashi
- Yoshiyuki Takatsu
- Goro Sodai
- Nobuko Otowa
Awards
Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director received the Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film.[3] Kaneto Shindō received the Kinema Junpo Award and the Mainichi Film Award for Best Director.[4]
Home media
The film was released on DVD in Japan in 2001.[5] In the US, the film is included in the Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray release of Ugetsu (1953).[6]
References
Further reading
- Shindo, Kaneto (27 April 1976). Aru Eiga Kantoku - Mizoguchi Kenji to Nihon Eiga [A film director - Kenji Mizoguchi and the Japanese cinema]. Iwanami Shinsho (in Japanese). Vol. 962. Iwanami. ISBN 4-00-414080-3.
