Die Prinzessin Yang (1955)
5KDie Prinzessin Yang: Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. With Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Sô Yamamura, Eitarô Shindô. In 8th-century China, the Emperor is grieving over the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their influence over the court. General An Lushan finds a close relative working in their kitchen whom they groom to present to the Emperor. The Emperor falls in love with her and she becomes the Princess Yang Kwei-fei. The Yangs are then appointed important ministers, though An Lushan is not given the court position he covets. The ministers misuse their power so much that there is a popular revolt against all the Yangs, fueled by An Lushan.
“Like with u0026#39;Zangiku monogatariu0026#39;, Mizoguchi has made a very beautiful film. The long tracking shots, deep focus editing, and vibrant colors are gorgeous. Yet the story in u0026#39;Yang Kwei feiu0026quot;, just like in Mizou0026#39;s u0026#39;Zangiku monogatariu0026#39; and u0026#39;The Crucified Loversu0026#39;, is very typical and unexceptional. Be prepared to see ideal archetypes of perfectly virtous self-sacrificing women, stupid greedy and cruel men, and did I mention?…the cruelties of feudalism. I think such a simple story set during feudalism is a weakness in this film. It leaves a viewer commonly thinking: feudalism sucks (boy thatu0026#39;s new), itu0026#39;s good itu0026#39;s over,…whatu0026#39;s next? This is a perfectly valid critique. Mizoguchiu0026#39;s vastly better films are his realistic masterworks from 1036: u0026#39;Osaka Elegyu0026#39; and u0026#39;Sisters of the Gionu0026#39;, as well as his late more retrained masterpieces u0026#39;Ugetsuu0026#39;, u0026#39;Sansho Dayuu0026#39;, and u0026#39;Life of Oharuu0026#39;.”
