The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums is based on a popular Kabuki play, but reworked with a more flattering female character. It is beautiful in its simplicity, and contains many of the themes that Mizoguchi would frequently return to throughout his career, such as the strong female character who redeems the confused male. The plot, based on an ancient legend, concerns the adopted son of a renowned Kabuki actor, who falls in love with a servant girl. His father violently opposes the union. The son, on the other hand, suffers from the pressure to live up to his father's name, but he is undisciplined and lacks favour with the public. Only the maid believes that he can achieve his father's greatness, and when she is fired and sent away to avoid any scandal within the family, the son chases after her to travel and practice his art. This, and the several impulsive decisions taken by the young people, eventually result in tragedy. Like many of Mizoguchi's best works, The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums dwells upon the adverse results stemming from class consciousness and the depersonalisation of women. It is a haunting film about artistic integrity and selfless love, simple but striking to look at, and a landmark of Japanese cinema.