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Kenji Mizoguchi

Japanese film director and screenwriter (1898-1956)

14.92body-of-work score · ranked #41 of 2631 directors · 19 films in our library

A director's score is the sum of their films' composite canon scores — methodology.

Born
May 16, 1898 · Tokyo
Died
August 24, 1956 · Kyoto
Nationality
Japan
Work
film director, screenwriter, director
Reference
Wikipedia · Wikidata
Portrait of Kenji Mizoguchi
Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Films in our library, ranked

Ranked by composite canon score across 20+ authoritative lists, awards and polls — our ordering, with every placement citing its evidence on the film's page.

  1. 1
    Ugetsu雨月物語Must-See #128

    1953 · Japan · fantasy, drama

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1953 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #90

    3.2210 citations
  2. 2
    Sansho the Bailiff山椒大夫Must-See #159

    1954 · Japan · drama

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #75 · Sarris's annual top 10 1969 #2

    3.0010 citations
  3. 3
    The Life of Oharu西鶴一代女

    1952 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1952 #9 · Sarris's annual top 10 1964 #4 · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films

    1.106 citations
  4. 4
    Sisters of the Gion祇園の姉妹

    1936 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1936 #1

    1.001 citation
  5. 5
    The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum残菊物語

    1939 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1939 #2 · Criterion Collection spine #832

    0.792 citations
  6. 6
    The Crucified Lovers近松物語

    1954 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1954 #5 · Criterion Collection spine #949 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.663 citations
  7. 7
    The Water Magician瀧の白糸

    1933 · Japan · drama, silent

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1933 #2

    0.631 citation
  8. 8
    Osaka Elegy浪華悲歌

    1936 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1936 #3

    0.501 citation
  9. 9
    The Straits of Love and Hate愛怨峡

    1937 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1937 #3

    0.501 citation
  10. 10
    Women of the Night夜の女たち

    1948 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1948 #3

    0.501 citation
  11. 11
    Taira Clan Saga新・平家物語

    1955 · Japan · drama

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1961 #5 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.502 citations
  12. 12
    A Woman of Osaka浪花女

    1940 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1940 #4

    0.431 citation
  13. 13
    The Life of an Actor芸道一代男

    1941 · Japan

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1941 #4

    0.431 citation
  14. 14
    Paper Doll's Whisper of Spring紙人形春の囁き

    1926 · Japan · silent

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1926 #7

    0.331 citation
  15. 15
    Utamaro and His Five Women歌麿をめぐる五人の女

    1946 · Japan · drama

    Sarris's annual top 10 1972 #4 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.332 citations
  16. 16
    A Geisha祇園囃子

    1953 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1953 #9

    0.301 citation
  17. 17
    Princess Yang Kwei-Fei楊貴妃

    1955 · Japan · drama

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #9

    0.301 citation
  18. 18
    Urban Symphony都会交響楽

    1929 · Japan · silent

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1929 #10

    0.291 citation
  19. 19
    The 47 Ronin元禄忠臣蔵

    1941 · Japan

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation

Complete filmography

All 44 directorial credits recorded on Wikidata, in chronological order; films in our library link to their canon-score page.