Finally and Ranking

This is one of those movies I've had on my queue for about a decade and it always seems to find its way towards the bottom. I'd heard it's slow paced and while that may be an understatement (I openly admit, I had to turn it off after the 2nd vignette and come back to it), it so rich with color, music and obviously stories. I understand why it is shunned by a lot of American audiences, but it shouldn't be. If watched as a series, possibly over the course of four nights, I think nearly everyone could find enjoyment in it.

Just interested in what people think of each chapter and which is the best/worst
Mine would go like this

1. The Woman in the Snow - (I was told upon the original US release, this story was omitted). For me it's the story with the strongest message and the ending was predictable in one way and completely out of left field in another.

2. Hoichi, The Ear-less - The final scene alone is worth the viewing, but getting there took forever. I feel this one asks for the most patience, so I was very happy, I had walked away for a few hours between #2 & #3.

3. The Black Hair - By far the best in terms of the ghost story aspect and actual film making techniques, but the story sputters in the scenes with the second wife.

4. In a Cup of Tea - The most metaphorical, the act is weak, but the point is well taken. I think this one suffers from my Western upbringing, because I viewed it more personally and therefor felt the story was all about allowing others to determine our outcome, which might be completely incorrect.

As a quartet, I think it suffers from being too bold, but as individual chapters, it plays well. It's a difficult movie to rate, because I can't see recommending it to more than a handful and I definitely can't see myself coming back to it, despite liking it.