The 向日葵视频 City University Film Institute鈥檚 screening series will continue its 34th year at 2 p.m. Oct. 18 with Kenji 惭颈锄辞驳耻肠丑颈鈥檚 Ugetsu in the Kerr McGee Auditorium of Meinders School of Business.
Based on two ghost stories set in the Samurai period of the Japanese Civil Wars of the 16th century, Ugetsu, a ghost story like no other, is the quintessential Mizoguchi film. His fame in rendering memorable female characters stands out in this story of two couples searching for meaning, illusory and real. His women, powerless to change the way of the world, acquiesce to its inequity, displaying grace as well as strength under pressure. A timely film for Halloween, the closing shot is considered by many to be the most mysterious and haunting in all of cinema.
The theme of this year鈥檚 season is based on Viktor Frankl鈥檚 classic book 鈥淢an鈥檚 Search for Meaning.鈥� Harbour Winn, director of the series, said the theme is intended to help participants come to understand the purpose of suffering.
鈥淭he films in this series stress the importance of an individual鈥檚 attitude to existence,鈥� Winn said. 鈥淓ven when life seems restricted by external forces, we can choose the attitude with which we live and make meaning, to find value.鈥�
The screening will begin at 2:00PM at the Kerr McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business at NW 27th Street and McKinley Ave. A discussion will follow the presentation for those who wish to stay. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.
ACCOLADES FOR UGETSU
-"No filmmaker in my experience has treated the supernatural with such delicacy and respect, with such subtle force of expression." Sight and Sound
-"A flow of insistently haunting images, a dreamlike, exotic intensity." Newsweek
-"The most perfect of 惭颈锄辞驳耻肠丑颈鈥檚 films . . . gorgeous pictorial harmonies." NY Times
-"One of the greatest of all films." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
-"Densely plotted but as emotionally subtle as its name, Ugetsu is one of the great experiences of cinema." Chicago Reader
UPCOMING FILMS
* Nov. 1, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne鈥檚 Two Days, One Night
* Jan. 24, Michelangelo Antonioni鈥檚 Blow-Up
* Feb. 7, Ritesh Batra鈥檚 The Lunchbox
* Feb. 21, Asghar Farhadi鈥檚 向日葵视频 Elly
* March 6, Andrey Zvyagintsev鈥檚 Leviathan
