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Ugetsu (The Criterion Collection) 1954
Be Careful
What You Wish For, November 3, 2011
As a wee laddie growing up in Hawaii I had the benefit of living in a locale with strong Asian roots. One of my friends was an usherette in a Japanese "art house" theatre & I got to see all the latest releases for free. I particularly enjoyed the Asian ghost/vampire genre. They are very different from western presentations in that the esthetic value is much more pronounced--in other words they are beautiful as well as frightening. If you weren't previously aware of the fact, you wouldn't know that UGETSU was a ghost story until near the end. I debated even mentioning the fact, but since other reviews spill the beans, what the heck. It is a ghost story and a parable. It's set during the samurai era & you learn a lot about the culture while at the same time being entertained & captivated. Asian black & white films (as UGETSU is) can be extraordinarily beautiful because Asian art has a flair for natural lighting effects. If I could have given UGETSU 4 1/2 stars I would have. I didn't give it 5 stars only because I have seen so many Japanese films that I had to hold back at some point--nonetheless, UGETSU is a great film with plenty of heart, soul & suspense.
Updated
11/11
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