Blu-ray & 4K UHD release: ‘Ugetsu’

By   |  May 15, 2025

The Criterion Collection are bringing the 1953 Japanese period fantasy movie ‘Ugetsu’ (雨月物語) to UK Blu-ray and 4K UHD on May 19, 2025.

Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi and based on stories by Ueda Akinari, the film revolves around a potter who leaves his wife and son behind to make money selling pottery and ends up being seduced by a spirit. The cast includes Machiko Kyo, Mitsuko Mito, Kinuyo Tanaka, Masayuki Mori, and Eitaro Ozawa.

Synopsis: In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage’s warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro’s pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei’s desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

Features:
• 4K digital restoration
• Uncompressed monoaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film
• One Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary by Tony Rayns
• Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director, a 1975 documentary by Kaneto Shindo
• Two Worlds Intertwined, a 2005 appreciation of ‘Ugetsu’ by Masahiro Shinoda
• Process and Production, a 2005 interview with Tokuzo Tanaka, first assistant director on ‘Ugetsu’
• Interview from 1992 with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa
• Trailers
• An essay by film critic Phillip Lopate and three short stories that inspired the film

‘Ugetsu’ is available to pre-order now from Amazon.co.uk and is already available in the US from Amazon.com.

Phil Mills
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