The Life of Oharu
Encyclopedia
is a 1952
1952 in film
The year 1952 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 10 - Cecil B. DeMille's circus epic, The Greatest Show on Earth, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....

 historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...

 black-and-white film by director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...

 starring Kinuyo Tanaka
Kinuyo Tanaka
was a Japanese actress and director.Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at an early age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929...

 as Oharu, a one-time concubine of a daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

(and mother of a later daimyō) who struggles to escape the stigma of having been sold into prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

 by her father. Based on a novel by Ihara Saikaku
Ihara Saikaku
was a Japanese poet and creator of the "floating world" genre of Japanese prose .-Biography:Born the son of the wealthy merchant Hirayama Tōgo in Osaka, he first studied haikai poetry under Matsunaga Teitoku, and later studied under Nishiyama Sōin of the Danrin School of poetry, which emphasized...

, the film constitutes an excellent example of the long take
Long take
A long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...

 aesthetic, which Mizoguchi employed extensively throughout his career.

Starring Kinuyo Tanaka
Kinuyo Tanaka
was a Japanese actress and director.Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at an early age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929...

 (in what is perhaps her most famous role) as Oharu, the film tells a poignant story that uses the experiences of a struggling courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...

 to examine the issues of class and rigid hierarchy in Japanese society
Four divisions of society
The four divisions of society refers to the model of society in ancient China and was a meritocratic social class system in China, and other subsequently influenced Confucian societies. The four castes—gentry, farmers, artisans and merchants—are combined to form the term Shìnónggōngshāng...

 in the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

.

Background

The Life of Oharu is based on various stories from Ihara Saikaku
Ihara Saikaku
was a Japanese poet and creator of the "floating world" genre of Japanese prose .-Biography:Born the son of the wealthy merchant Hirayama Tōgo in Osaka, he first studied haikai poetry under Matsunaga Teitoku, and later studied under Nishiyama Sōin of the Danrin School of poetry, which emphasized...

's The Life of an Amorous Woman
The Life of an Amorous Woman
is a novel of the floating world by Ihara Saikaku, published in 1686.-Plot summary:A man of the world who lives in the capital city of Kyoto travels to Saga-ken in Kyushu with some friends. They meet an old woman who lives in a grass hut and listen to the story of her life experiences...

. It was produced by the Shintōhō
Shintoho
was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big-6 film studios during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Tōhō Company...

 Company, with cinematography by Yoshimi Hirano and screenplay by Yoshikata Yoda
Yoshikata Yoda
was a Japanese screenwriter. He wrote for over 130 films between 1931 and 1989. He is most famous for his work with Kenji Mizoguchi...

.

It has been claimed that this movie was one of Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...

's favorite projects, even though it was under financed. Other crew members include: production designer Hiroshi Mizutani and historical consultant Isamu Yoshi.

Awards

The Life of Oharu won the International Prize at the 1952 Venice International Film Festival and was nominated to Golden Lion
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...

. The film (include 1952 films Himitsu
Himitsu
, , is a novel by Keigo Higashino, published in English as Naoko by Vertical. The story centers on a man whose wife and daughter are in a terrible accident; the wife dies, but when the daughter wakes up, he discovers his wife's mind inside....

, Inazuma and Okaasan) won 1953 Mainichi Film Concours for best film score (Ichirō Saitō
Ichirō Saitō
was Japanese film composer.- Film score :He made film music for 334 films including:* Lightning * Tea Over Rice or The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice...

).

Plot

The story opens on Oharu as an old woman in a temple flashing back through the events of her life. It begins with her love affair with a page, the result of which (due to their class difference) is his execution and her family's banishment. Oharu attempts suicide but fails and is sold to be the mistress of Lord Matsudaira with the hope she will bear him a son. She does, but then is sent home with minimal compensation to the dismay of her father, who has worked up quite a debt in the meantime. He sends her to be a courtesan, but there, too, she fails and is again sent home. She goes to serve the family of a woman who must hide the fact that she is bald from her husband. The woman becomes jealous of Oharu and makes her chop off her hair, but Oharu retaliates, revealing the woman's secret. She again must leave—this time she marries a fan maker who is killed shortly after during a robbery. She attempts to become a nun, but Oharu is thrown out after being caught naked with a man seeking reimbursement for an unauthorized gift (it is unclear if this is seduction or rape). She is thrown out of the temple, becomes a prostitute, but fails even at that. In the end, she is recalled to the Lord's house in order to keep secret her activities and to be exiled within the compounds to keep her secrets locked away. While being scolded for the life she chose, she attempts to find her son, and in the process, ends up running away as she chooses the life of a beggar over the life in exile.

Gender Issues

Oharu faces some major conflicts of interest as her role as a woman in society
Women in Japan
Gender has been an important principle of stratification throughout Japanese history, but the cultural elaboration of gender differences has varied over time and among different social classes. In the twelfth century , for example, women in Japan could inherit property in their own names and manage...

 changes with each stage she enters. During the course of her entire life, she is seen as having little autonomy, from being chosen for her perfect face and perfect body by the Lord Matsudaira's servant to being forced into prostitution as everything else fails. Furthermore, her role in the society is greatly strained as she was originally cast aside during her initial love affair.

Director

The director of The Life of Oharu, Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...

, is considered one of the masters of what is often called the 'Golden Age of Japanese cinema'. Mizoguchi's films were influenced heavily by his childhood. Events such as the loss of his sister and mother through sale to a geisha house and death, respectively, as well as his father's inability to take care of his family played a major role in deciding what kind of films Mizoguchi would come to direct. Common themes in Mizoguchi's films are sudden changes in class, oppressive male figures of authority, and the woman protagonist who sacrifices everything only to have her life ruined. Mizoguchi experienced all of these at some level as he grew up in Tokyo. These themes are most prevalent in his films: Osaka Elegy
Osaka Elegy
is a 1936 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi considered the film his first serious effort as a director, and it was also his first commercial and critical success in Japan...

, The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums
, 1939) is a Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.The film is regarded as one of Mizoguchi's greatest pre-war achievements. Especially notable is Mizoguchi's now mature mise-en-scène compositions and extreme long takes.-Synopsis:...

, The Life of Oharu, Sansho the Bailiff
Sansho the Bailiff
-External links:* at the Japanese Movie Database* * and QuickTime trailer* essay by Mark Le Fanu...

, and Ugetsu
Ugetsu
Ugetsu is a 1953 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Set in 16th century Japan, it stars Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō, and is inspired by short stories by Ueda Akinari and Guy de Maupassant...

. Films such as these helped establish Mizoguchi's reputation as a feminist director.

Cast and main characters

  • Kinuyo Tanaka
    Kinuyo Tanaka
    was a Japanese actress and director.Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at an early age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929...

     as Oharu - The protagonist whose bad luck and misfortune lead to various struggles in life.
  • Tsukie Matsuura as Tomo, Oharu's Mother - A kind character in the film; her mother tended to side with Oharu and did not wish to see her become a courtesan.
  • Ichirō Sugai as Shinzaemon, Oharu's Father - Oharu's father was consumed by both money and social status. His misjudgments about Oharu caused much of her downfall.
  • Toshirō Mifune
    Toshiro Mifune
    Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in almost 170 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, from 1948 to 1965, in works such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, and Yojimbo...

     as Katsunosuke - A page who courted Oharu and they fell into a forbidden love. He is beheaded once their relationship is discovered.
  • Toshiaki Konoe as Lord Harutaka Matsudaira - He takes Oharu as a mistress in order to bear a child heir. Unfortunately for Oharu, he falls in love with Oharu and his wife's jealousy causes her dismissal.
  • Hisako Yamane as Lady Matsudaira - The wife of Harutaka Matsudaira who, because of her jealousy of her husband's love for Oharu, banishes her.
  • Jukichi Uno as Yakichi Ogiya - He was a respected fan maker who married Oharu, however, he is tragically murdered shortly into their marriage.
  • Kiyoko Tsuji as Landlady.
  • Eitarō Shindō
    Eitaro Shindo
    was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 93 films between 1936 and 1966.-Selected filmography:* Miss Oyu * The Crucified Lovers * Sansho the Bailiff...

     as Kahe Sasaya.
  • Akira Oizumi as Fumikichi, Sasaya's friend.
  • Kyôko Kusajima as Sodegaki.
  • Masao Shimizu as Kikuoji
  • Daisuke Katō
    Daisuke Katô
    was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 films, including Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai , Rashomon, Yojimbo , and Ikiru, and Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy and Chushingura.-Filmography:* Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji...

     as Tasaburo Hishiya
  • Toranosuke Ogawa as Yoshioka
  • Hiroshi Oizumi as manager Bunkichi
  • Haruyo Ichikawa as Lady-in-waiting Iwabashi
  • Yuriko Hamada as Otsubone Yoshioka
  • Noriko Sengoku
    Noriko Sengoku
    known by her stage name is a Japanese film and television actress whose film work occurred primarily during the 1950s and 1960s. She debuted in 1947 and became popular through starring in Akira Kurosawa early films such as Drunken Angel , Stray Dog , The Quiet Duel , Scandal , The Idiot and Seven...

     as Lady-in-waiting Sakurai
  • Sadako Sawamura as Owasa
  • Masao Mishima as Taisaburo Hishiya
  • Eijirō Yanagi as forger
  • Chieko Higashiyama as Myokai, the old nun
  • Takashi Shimura
    Takashi Shimura
    was a Japanese actor.He was born in Ikuno, Hyogo, Japan.His debut as actor was the film Akanishi Kakita and cast in the Kenji Mizoguchi's film Osaka Elegy ....

     as old man
  • Benkei Shiganoya as Jihei
  • Komako Hara
    Komako Hara
    was a Japanese film actress who was particularly prominent in the silent era. Her real name was Komako Kuragata.-Career:Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Hara made her motion picture debut in 1924 in the film Rakujitsu no yume. At studios such as Tōa Kinema and Makino Talkie, she achieved fame...

    as Otsubone Kuzui

External links

  • download movie (1463.3 MB, 560 × 416 pixels, English subtitles forced in the film.)
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