is a 1955 Japanese

historical film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swa ...

directed by

Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include ''The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Ugets ...

. It was a co-production between

Daiei Film Daiei Film Co. Ltd. (Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing ...

and Shaw & Sons, Hong Kong (later

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shang ...

). It is one of Mizoguchi's two

colour Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

films, the other being '' Tales of the Taira Clan'', made the same year.

Plot

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. In the early ...

retired from the throne of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, gazes at a statue of the woman he loved who has died. He sadly reminisces about their relationship. Recently widowed, a depressed Xuanzong is uninterested in governing or affairs of state. He spends his days playing his lute, composing music, and enjoying life's pleasures. His ministers have tried unsuccessfully to interest him in the most beautiful women in the kingdom without success. They hope that a new concubine will help him to get over his depression over the late empress. The Yang family offers their daughter to the emperor who barely notices her. General

An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion. An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lush ...

happens upon a serving girl Yuahan Kwei-Fei/

Yang Guifei Yang Yuhuan (; 26 June, 719 – 15 July 756Volume 218 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Yang was killed on the ''bingshen'' day of the 6th month of the 1st year of the Zhide era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 15 Jul 756 on t ...

in the kitchen who he realizes is a great beauty who resembles the late empress. When he finds out she is a relative of the Yang family, he intrigues with the Yangs to dress her in fine robes and present her to the emperor. Instead of a new concubine, Lushan imagines that she will become a new empress. Both he and Kwei-Fei's family plan to use her to gain power and money in the kingdom. After sending her for training at the same place the former empress had studied, Kwei-Fei finally meets the emperor who notices her resemblance to his late wife and asks her to leave. She plays a song on the lute that the emperor had written and impresses him. They begin spending time together and she quickly gains his favor. As time passes, the emperor promotes members of the Yang family to ministerial positions. The emperor's reign has been marked by very high taxes and noticeable corruption. When the Yang family begins openly living decadently and corrupt officials such as Kwei-Fei's cousin Yang Guozhong, begin lining their pockets at the empire's expense, the people protest and call for death to the Yang family. An Lushan visits Kwei Fei asking her to help him obtain a government position. By now, Kwei-Fei is considered an official

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

of the emperor. She refuses. When Kwei-Fei discovers the people's unhappiness with her family, she pleads with the emperor to strip her family of their government positions and allow her to go back to her former life. She feels this is the only way to protect him and the people of the empire. He brushes off her concerns and reminds her that the punishment for imperial concubines interfering in matters of state is death. Angry and hurt that she wishes to leave him, Xuanzong banishes Kwei-Fei to his harem with other out-of- favor concubines. Kwei-Fei returns home instead. Meanwhile General Lushan, still angry that he was unable to procure a government post and disgusted at the corruption of Yang Guozhong, leads a revolution against the emperor. He rallies his troops with calls to destroy the Yang family, and plans to usurp the throne. Calling himself Emperor Taien, he marches on the capital at

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin ...

. When she hears of Lushan's plans, Kwei-Fei rushes to Emperor Xuanzong's side so they can face their fate together. They flee the capital and wind up in a remote village. They spend the evening reminiscing about their first meeting. The Imperial Guards kill Kwei-Fei's sisters and Yang Guozhong who they blame for the rebellion. Emperor Xuanzhong is told that the people are still loyal to him, but only if he authorizes Kwei-Fei's death. After trying to change their minds, he finally authorizes her death. Kwei-Fei is hanged by the Imperial Guard. The rebellion is crushed, but the emperor is unable to return because his son had already usurped the throne. He dies a lonely, broken man dreaming of Kwei-Fei and staring at her statue. He welcomes death as a return to his true love.

Cast

* Machiko Kyō as

Princess Yang Kwei Fei is a 1955 Japanese historical film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It was a co-production between Daiei Film and Shaw & Sons, Hong Kong (later Shaw Brothers). It is one of Mizoguchi's two colour films, the other being '' Tales of the Taira Clan'', ...

* Masayuki Mori as Emperor Xuan Zong *

Sō Yamamura was a Japanese actor and film director. He was also known by the name Satoshi Yamamura, while his actual birth name is Koga Hirosada. Yamamura graduated from University of Tokyo. In 1942, Yamamura and Isao Yamagata formed the ''Bunkaza Theatre ...

Eitarō Ozawa , also credited as Sakae Ozawa (小沢栄), was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1988, directed by notable filmmakers such as Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Kaneto Shindō. Selected fil ...

as Yang Kuo-chung *

Isao Yamagata was a Japanese film actor. In 1942, Yamagata and So Yamamura formed the ''Bunkaza Theatre Company''. In 1949 he made his film debut with ''Kirareya Senta''. Yamagata became famous for his role in 1953 film '' Gate of Hell''. He became a charac ...

as Yang Hsien *

Yōko Minamida was a Japanese actress. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in November 2008, and a television documentary was made about her condition and the efforts of her husband, actor Hiroyuki Nagato, to care for her. She died in Tokyo. Select ...

as Hung-tao * Noboru Kiritachi as Cuihua * Chieko Murata as Lu-hua * Michiko Ai as Honghua *

Eitarō Shindō was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1936 and 1975. He is most closely associated with the work of Kenji Mizoguchi, with whom he made twelve films. Selected filmography * '' Sisters of the Gion'' (1936) * ''A ...

as Kao Li-hsi * Tatsuya Ishiguro as Li Lin-fu * Bontarō Miake as Chen-Hsuan-li *

Haruko Sugimura was a Japanese stage and film actress, best known for her appearances in the films of Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Biography Sugimura was born in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. After the death of her parents, sh ...

as Princess Yen-chun * Osamu Maruyama as Li Kuei-nien *

Sachiko Murase was a Japanese actress. She appeared in about 90 films between 1927 and 1991. Selected filmography * (1930) * (1930) * (1931) * (1931-1932, part 1, 2) - Ayako Kirihara * (1932) - Mitsuko, reporter * (1932) * (1933) * (1933) * ''A Woman ...

as Chengfei

Legacy

The Hong Kong co-producers, by then known under the name Shaw Brothers, remade the film in 1962 as ''

The Magnificent Concubine ''The Magnificent Concubine'' () is a 1962 Hong Kong drama film. This movie was filmed in color. It was directed by Li Han Hsiang and is a remake of the 1955 Kenji Mizoguchi film '' Yōkihi''. ''The Magnificent Concubine'' was entered into the ...

''.

Notes

References

External links

* 1955 films Films directed by Kenji Mizoguchi 1950s Japanese-language films Daiei Film films Films with screenplays by Yoshikata Yoda Films with screenplays by Matsutarō Kawaguchi Films scored by Fumio Hayasaka Films produced by Masaichi Nagata Films set in 8th-century Tang dynasty 1950s Japanese films {{1950s-Japan-film-stub