Paths Between the Spiritual and the Real

On the Intersection of Musical Style, Symmetry, and Cycle in Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu (1953)

Authors

  • David Pacun Ithaca College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jfm.v3i1.19

Keywords:

<i>Ugetsu</I>, Mizoguchi, Hayasaka, original film score

Abstract

As is well known, Kenji Mizoguchi’s postwar masterpiece Ugetsu sets forth a complex layering of realms—dream world, spiritual world, underworld, reality, even the world of the “film itself.” Each realm is distinct, yet with transparent boundaries such that characters can pass between them. Moreover, broad cyclical patterns and symmetries in the dramatic structure both support the complex layering and integrate the narrative threads of the four main protagonists. This article explores the role of music, specifically musical style, in the creation of the film’s various realms. The article argues that music style enacts a rich web of associations that contributes to the film’s constantly shifting perspectives, and helps to articulate the cycles and symmetries that encompass both individual scenes and the film itself.

Author Biography

  • David Pacun, Ithaca College

    Associate Professor of Music Theory Department of Theory, History and Composition

References

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Published

2010-12-22

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Pacun, D. (2010). Paths Between the Spiritual and the Real: On the Intersection of Musical Style, Symmetry, and Cycle in Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu (1953). Journal of Film Music, 3(1), 19-36. https://doi.org/10.1558/jfm.v3i1.19