Kenji Mizoguchi made over 90 films in his long and brilliant career, but it would be with his last few films that he would reach his creative apex. Specifically, it was two films made consecutively in 1953 and 1954 with which he would be most remembered for. They were Ugetsu Monogatari and Sansho Dayu-two of the greatest masterworks in all of cinema. Sansho Dayu was his most emotionally devastating film, but as stated by many others, Ugetsu is perfection. It is as mesmerizing and haunting a film as you will ever see. Mizoguchi’s camera has been hailed as among the most graceful and exquisite of all directors, and Ugetsu was his most beautiful and startling use of it. His camera almost never stops moving, yet we hardly notice this. Instead we are drawn into this existential and profound ghost story told in Mizoguchi’s seemingly effortless but dazzling style. Ugetsu is a cautionary tale, but it isn’t trying to say that man should be content and never try to leave his comforts to reach for greater heights like these characters did. No, what we see is the inevitabilites of the world. Life is cruel, ironic, and ever changing. We all have or will learn this at some point in our lives, but not all of us use these lessons to change for the better. Ugetsu is a film that might help one do that.