Genji monogatari

I wasn't expecting much from this prestigious adaptation of The Tale of Genji, the world's oldest novel and a real doorstopper. Two hours long, it does not even cover half of the events of the book, which follow the lead character into old age and death before moving onto his descendants. The movie largely focuses on Genji's multiple romantic relationships and Buddhist themes of impermanence.

The script is imperfect to be sure, but the movie compensates amply with gorgeous visuals and music, evoking the elegance and poetry of Heian era Japan. The film boasts some of the best black and white photography I have ever seen. Though the truncated nature of the movie robs many of the characters of the definition they received in the source material, the actors all make a fantastic impression, even the ones with scant screen-time. Ultimately, I found this film to be a moving experience, sumptuous and bittersweet, even if (as in the book) I wanted to hit Genji over the head several times.

Kazuo Hasegawa is the Prince who is very much loved by all the ladies because he is handsome and brilliant and a great dancer.... no. It's because he's a prince and in the court of the Emperor of Japan, that's how you got ahead if you're a woman. He's married to a beautiful wife, and has a beautiful mistress and lots of beautiful admirers, and their fathers think very highly of his intelligence. Life is good, with no responsibilities. However, he falls in love with his father's new bride, and she with him, and the Emperor's Chief Concubine, Chieko Higashiyama, gets him to go into voluntary exile, lest he accidentally die of being poisoned while being shot before he can be beheaded.

It's based on Lady Murasaki's classic novel -- you can tell, because there's a beautiful, intelligent and kind young lady named Murasaki, who loves the Prince because he is handsome and brilliant and kind, and she gives such good advice; it's good to know that the Mary Sue trope did not arise recently. It's directed by Kôzaburô Yoshimura, one of the many highly competent studio directors of the Japanese industry, and beautifully shot by Kôhei Sugiyama, who was also cinematographer on a lot of Mizoguchi costume epics. It's a fine example of the sort of movie that was respectable for the highly educated classes in Japan, just like movies based on Henry James in America.

It's amazing to find no appreciations of this jidai-geki classic which combines the talents of several of the county's major film personalities. Hasegawa and Kyo (who steals the picture lecherously licking the blood from his wounds) feature with Kaneto Shindo on script.

This is no way inferior to the best work of Kurosawa and Mizoguchi and establishes Yoshimura as an underrated front runner in the best period of Japanese film making.

Prince Hasegawa's sex life is not impeded by the jealous opposition of the Mikado's wife. Kyo shows up late, with our hero offing the ninja assassins on her case. Indeed the activities of the court appear to be restricted to amorous intrigue, sword dancing and murder plots. This one has the movies' gentlest rape scene too.

Great score, striking, formal images, dodgy opticals and awful post synch.