An Actor’s Revenge [Yukinojô Henge] **** (1963, Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto, Ayako Wakao) – Classic Movie Review 8357

Director Kon Ichikawa’s 1963 Japanese Eastmancolor classic An Actor’s Revenge [Yukinojô Henge] is a cleverly intricate and rivetingly compelling drama about Yukinojo, a touring Kabuki actor who sets out to avenge himself on the three men, including a merchant, who destroyed and caused the deaths of his parents, driving them to suicide 20 years earlier.

It is the year 1836 and he starts by seducing the daughter of one of them and then by ruining them. Meanwhile a swordsman is out to kill Yukinojo.

Kazuo Hasegawa is quite remarkable playing the 19th-century Kabuki theatre onnagata (female impersonator).

The skillful screenplay by Daisuke Itô, Teinosuke Kinugasa and Natto Wada is based on a newspaper serial by Otokichi Mikami.

Also in the cast are Fujiko Yamamoto as Ohatsu, Ayako Wakao as Namiji, Eiji Funakoshi as Heima Kadokura, Narutoshi Hayashi as Mukuzu, Eijirô Yanagi as Hiromi-ya, Chûsha Ichikawa as Kikunojo Nakamura and Ganjirô Nakamura as Sansai Dobe.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8357

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