Adopted son of a kabuki actor attempts female roles. Criterion Collection Year 2016 Video Release 2016 09 13 Studio Criterion Collection Genre Drama MPAA Rating Not Rated Color Color Runtime 143 Animated Live Action Full Synopsis This heartrending masterpiece by Kenji Mizoguchi about the give and take between life and art marked the first full realization of the hypnotic long takes and eloquent camera movements that would come to define the director's films. Kikunosuke Shotaro Hanayagi , the adopted son of a legendary kabuki actor who is striving to achieve stardom by mastering female roles, turns to his infant brother's wet nurse for support and affection and she soon gives up everything for her beloved's creative glory. Offering a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of kabuki theater in the late nineteenth century, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum provides a critique of the oppression of women and the sacrifices required of them, and represents the pinnacle of Mizoguchi's early career. Director Kenji Mizoguchi Cast Kenji Mizoguchi; Shotaro Hanayagi; Kokichi Takada; Gonjuro Kawarazaki; Kakuko Mori; Yoko Umemura