I've just recently discovered Mizoguchi when I watched Ugetsu. That film stunned me and I felt haunted by it for several days. I would rank it among the great Japanese masterpieces such as Seven Samurai and Tokyo Story. This pre-war Mizoguchi has an incredible maturity and sophisticated characterization that surprised me. Most viewers will think that the younger sister is lying, conniving, and manipulative but on further reflection one realizes that most of the characters are deceptive and hypocritical in very self serving ways. It sounds serious and it is, but there are moments of humour as well. Plus, the mid-30's Kyoto setting is a fascinating time capsule. If you are a fan of Mizoguchi or Japanese films I highly recommend checking this movie out.
Review of Sisters of the Gion
