Show notes
Set in 17th-century feudal Japan, director Kenji Mizoguchi's 1954 feature A Story From Chikamatsu — also known as The Crucified Lovers or Chikamatsu Monogatari — is a tale of star-crossed love that's rich with unexpected twists and revelations. Involving a grand scroll master, his wife, and his best employee, the story unfolds in deep focus and long takes, with expert cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa. Inspired by Mizoguchi's ability to illuminate the present through the lens of the past, the Film Club's conversation springboards into cloud technology as well as the pleasures and pitfalls of modern cinephilia. As the scroll master's wife, Osan (Kyôko Kagawa), reminds us, "Nothing is more unpredictable than a person's fate."
