When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (The Criterion Collection)
by Mikio Naruse
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Daisuke Katô, Hideko Takamine, Masayuki Mori, Reiko Dan, Tatsuya NakadaiDirector: Mikio Naruse
Brand: Image Entertainment
Cinematographer: Masao Tamai
Producer: Ryûzô Kikushima
Writer: Ryûzô Kikushima
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 111 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-20
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Criterion
Movie Reviews of When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (The Criterion Collection)
Movie Review: A Gem Of A Film By Director Mikio Naruse!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first purchased this film on VHS some years ago, it was because of actor Tatsuya Nakadai. I was not at all familiar with the works of the late director Mikio Naruse. Since viewing "When A Woman Ascends The Stairs" I have only seen one other film by this late director, and that film was "Late Chrysanthemums," which I also have on VHS too. I am looking forward to purchasing both of these films on DVD some time. And this film in particular when it is released on DVD. My review refers to the VHS version. When I first viewed this film, I thought it was decent, but not particularly great. Not having seen the film in a number of years; I recently watched it again; and really liked it a lot. Strange how time can sometimes allow us to see things differently.
I find many films I once liked are not appealing anymore, while others seem to pull me in. This is a film that one grows to appreciate. Or maybe it's the mood one is in? Anyway, I believe this is a very good film. Much better than I initially thought. The films main protagonist Keiko Yashiro (Hideko Takamine) was excellent in the film. The film centers around the life of Keiko; also known as mama. Her daily life is recounted in the films narrative as a bar woman in the ginza bar district, who is struggling to maintain some sort of dignity in her life. She is a widow, and fast approaching thirty-years of age. With a daughter, a brother she is trying to help keep out of jail, and a nephew who needs money for an operation, her life is financially difficult. This is a slow paced film, and patience is required. But the film is well worth the watch and purchase.
Meanwhile, Keiko must deal with the patrons of the bar. The bar is frequented by businessmen and other clients who want more than just drinks served to them: her body for one. Despite all the hardships that Keiko is going through, we see that she emerges as a strong personality, and refuses to be defeated. She has an inner strength which carries her forward. This film reminded me quite a bit of the late great director Kenji Mizoguchi's films. Only here you find a woman who is strong, and not relying on men, per se. The films narrative follows the plight of a woman and a bar which is frequented by men who see her as an object. And yet her pride will not allow her to debase herself, even if it means financial advancement.
Another one of the bar's characters is Junko Inchihashi (Reiko Dan) and she gives a very good supporting role in the film. And then there is the character of Kenichi Komatsu, (Tatsuya Nakadai) who portrays the managing bartender in the film. But at the heart of the film we have Keiko, and her desire to change her lot in life. And although Keiko does not hate her job, she does not entirely enjoy it either. Director Naruse shows the viewer that in this male dominated society, the roles of women are limited and that life is one vicious cycle of disappointment: Yet Keiko carries on as she tries to rise above lifes challenges. For Keiko, life is more than just ascending the stairs of the bar where she works. Life is difficult, but there is always a tomorrow. This film is highly recommended.
Summary of When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (The Criterion Collection)
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs might be Japanese filmmaker Mikio Naruse?s finest hour?a delicate, devastating study of Keiko (the heartbreaking Takamine Hideko), a bar hostess in Tokyo?s very modern postwar Ginza district, who entertains businessmen after work. Sly, resourceful, but trapped, Keiko comes to embody the conflicts and struggles of a woman trying to establish her independence in a male-dominated society. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs shows the largely unsung yet widely beloved master Naruse at his most socially exacting and profoundly emotional.Similar DVD Movies
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