Description:

Utamaro o meguru gonin no onna - This was Kenji Mizoguchi's first film made under the American occupation and Jidaigeki films like Utamaro were rarely made, as they were seen as being inherently nationalistic or militaristic.

A fictionalized account of the life of print artist Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806). Utamaro is a great artist in the new, dynamic form of painting known as Ukiyo-e (literally: paintings of the floating world), he lives to create portraits of beautiful women, and the brothels of Tokyo provide his models. A world of passion swirls around him, as the women in his life vie for lovers.

But occasionally his art gets him into trouble. When a Samurai apprenticed to a Kano Master (the old official court-approved style of painting), visits an Edo print shop he sees a painting by Utamaro that boasts of Ukiyo-e 's superiority to the official style. Enraged, he goes to the brothel where Utamaro is with his friends, and challenges him to a duel. Utamaro counter-challenges him with a different kind of duel - a contest of painting.

Director: Mizoguchi Kenji

Stars: Minosuke Bando, Kinuyo Tanaka and Kotaro Bando

1946 – JAPANESE with OPTIONAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES - B&W – FULL SCREEN - 106 MINUTES