Princess from the Moon (1987)

Dir. Kon Ichikawa's filmed version of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (aka The Tale of Princess Kaguya), a 10th-Century Japanese fairy tale, stars Toshirô Mifune as a struggling woodcutter who finds a mysterious baby in a bamboo forest. When the girl, named Kaya (Yasuko Sawaguchi), grows to adulthood her beauty draws suitors, but her unknown origins complicate her life.
Amid the changing fortunes of her parents, Kaya's story explores the nature of desire and love. The acting is decent, but the onscreen action rarely feels like it's happening in an ancient era (it's set sometime around 790 AD). While not Ichikawa's best work, it's a colourful version of the story, nonetheless.

2½ cradle pieces out of 5