Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List
Spoiler-free premise
Potter Genjurō and farmer Tōbei leave their wives during civil war to pursue wealth and samurai glory, entering a haunted landscape.
Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free+
During civil war in sixteenth-century Japan, potter Genjurō sees profit in carrying ceramics to market, while brother-in-law Tōbei dreams of becoming a samurai. They leave wives Miyagi and Ohama vulnerable as ambition draws the men toward unstable towns and supernatural temptation.
Why it belongs
Ugetsu lets war, greed, and ghost story flow together through gliding long takes whose beauty never excuses the women's suffering.
Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case+
Mist-covered water, moving boats, markets, ruined houses, silk interiors, and Kenji Mizoguchi's lateral camera carry characters between material and supernatural worlds—the fluidity contrasts with the concrete costs borne by Miyagi and Ohama.
Major award wins
No verified wins in this six-institution crosswalk.
Awards are reference metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.
Institutional reference ranks
Sight & Sound90IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score
Great Cinema Master List scores
Greatness9.5
Engagement8.5
Ease7.6
Japanese · Not Rated Narrative Feature Mood: Absorbing & Reflective
