“Ugetsu” (雨月物語 / Ugetsu Monogatari), Original Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1972, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) P294

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1972 for the re-release of Ugetsu, one of Kenji Mizoguchi’s greatest and most internationally celebrated films. First released in 1953, Ugetsu stars Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō, and remains one of the supreme achievements of post-war Japanese cinema. This 1972 Japanese re-release poster is especially attractive for its quiet, refined design, perfectly suited to the film’s ghostly beauty and tragic atmosphere.

Film background
Released in 1953, Ugetsu (雨月物語 / Ugetsu Monogatari, literally “Rain-Moon Tales”) is a period fantasy drama based in part on stories from Ueda Akinari’s 1776 collection. Set against the chaos of civil war, it follows two men whose ambitions lead them away from their families and toward illusion, desire, and ruin. Combining jidaigeki period drama with ghost-story elements, Mizoguchi created a film of extraordinary elegance and emotional depth—at once intimate, lyrical, and devastating.

The film won the Silver Lion at the 1953 Venice Film Festival and helped establish Mizoguchi’s international reputation at a crucial moment in the global discovery of Japanese cinema. Today it is widely regarded as one of the director’s essential masterpieces and one of the greatest films ever made.

Poster design
This Japanese re-release design is beautifully restrained and highly sophisticated. The composition uses a muted, almost parchment-like ground, dominated by the large vertical calligraphic title 雨月物語, giving the poster a timeless literary and classical feel. At lower right, a black-and-white image of the two principal figures provides the emotional anchor, while the surrounding text emphasises Mizoguchi’s stature and the film’s international acclaim. The overall effect is quiet, elegant, and deeply evocative—exactly the kind of understated Japanese poster design that rewards close looking and frames exceptionally well.

Condition
Very Good. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 50 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.