One of the legendary director Kenji Mizoguchi's greatest masterpieces - which makes it one of the great masterworks of cinema proper - chronicles the tragedy of a woman consistently being pulled down the social ladder, from privilege to destitution, by her family (in various senses). Based on Ihara Saikaku's sensationalist 17th century novel about the life of a "voluptuous woman", this is a sublime work of art, perfectly melding a profound sense of human suffering, a detailed grasp of classical Japanese art, and a staggeringly modern sense of acuity, amidst all that weight of tradition, with the talent of one of the very greatest directors of all time. While this entry is not as famous as Ugetsu or Sansho dayu (to mention only a few other works by Mizoguchi), it is no less brilliant, no less perfect when it comes to achieving an empathic rendering of the human condition, both grounded in cultural and historical circumstances and impressively transcending them. The only thing to wish for is a more dedicated digital version, adorned with a deserving array of special features (just look at that US version of Ugetsu, such a wonderful labour of love). You'll want to watch this for the film itself, of course, if you seriously love cinema, but it certainly deserves a little more effort in its presentation as far as commercial issues are concerned.
