An examination of the cultural and literary influences on the film Ugetsu monogatari by Mizoguchi which focuses especially on the changes between Mizoguchi's primary influence, the collection of short stories Ugetsu monogatari by Ueda Akinari, and Mizoguchi's film. Specifically, this work examines the changes in the portrayal of the characters and how those changes may have been influenced by the gender politics of Mizoguchi's time.