The Life of Oharu

Kenji Mizoguchi's 1952 classic, adapted from Ihara Saikaku's 17th-century novel The Life of an Amorous Woman, opens with the 50-year-old Oharu—played with extraordinary subtlety by Kinuyo Tanaka—recalling the circumstances that led to her degradation. As a young woman, she held a position of prestige as a lady-in-waiting at the Kyoto imperial court, but an affair with a page (Toshirô Mifune) from a considerably lower social rank results in his execution and the banishment of Oharu and her parents. Over the years, Oharu descends in status from concubine to courtesan to housemaid, finally reaching the level of street prostitute. Throughout, the outward stoicism presented by Oharu in the face of her deteriorating position in Japan's rigid society barely conceals the misogyny and hypocrisy of the nation's feudal hierarchy. Mizoguchi's work displays innovative visual style, combining sharp production design with handsome black-and-white cinematography that shines on this pristine high-definition Criterion release. Extras include a 2009 documentary on Tanaka's 1949 goodwill tour of the U.S., one audio essay and a brief audio commentary by film scholar Dudley Andrew, and a booklet. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)