Mizoguchi, Kenji (1898–1956)

Japanese film director. One of the great artists of the cinema, he first came to notice outside Japan with Ugetsu monogatari (1953), but many of his earlier films are of at least equal value, for example Naniwa erejii/Osaka Elegy (1936) and Zangiku monogatari/The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums (1939).

Mizoguchi's career spans over ninety films from 1922 to 1956, though many of the earlier films have been lost. Many of his finest works are period films, and almost all display a profound concern with the situation of women, particularly those of his last years, such as Saikaku ichidai onna/The Life of Oharu (1952), Sansho daiyu/Sansho the Bailiff (1954), Chikamatsu monogatari/The Crucified Lovers (1954), Yokihi/The Empress Yang Kwei Fei (1955), and Akasen chitai/Street of Shame (1956). Although he excels in his elegant use of the moving camera, his style is restrained, preferring the contemplative quality of the long shot to the drama of the close-up.