Ugetsu monogatari, Ugetsu, 雨月物語, 1953, Japanese Ghost story Drama, War, Director Kenji Mizoguchi

Ugetsu, also known as Tales of Ugetsu, The Tales of the Wave after the Rain Moon and Ugetsu Monogatari (雨月物語), is a 1953 Japanese romantic fantasy drama film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi and based on stories in Ueda Akinari s 1776 book of the same name. It is a ghost story and an example of the jidaigeki (period drama) genre, starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. Drawing its plot particularly from Ueda s tales The House in the Thicket and The Lust of the White Serpent, the film is set in AzuchiMomoyama period Japan (c. 15731600). It is about a peasant farmer and potter who leaves his wife and young son during civil war, and is seduced by a spirit that threatens his life. A subplot involves his friend, who dreams of becoming a great samurai and chases this goal at the unintended expense of his wife. Major themes include the ethics of war, forbidden relationships with the spirit world, and neglect of family duty. The film wo