Woman of Tokyo (1933) Tôkyô no onna (original title)

Director:

Yasujirô Ozu

Writers:

Tadao Ikeda (writer)
Kôgo Noda (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

December 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Ryoichi and Chikako are brother and sister. They live together. Chikako works during the day in a office...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Yoshiko Okada	...	Chikako
Ureo Egawa	...	Ryoichi
Kinuyo Tanaka	...	Harue
Shinyo Nara	...	Kinoshita
Chishû Ryû	...	Reporter

Directed by
Yasujirô Ozu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tadao Ikeda		writer
Kôgo Noda		writer
Ernst Schwartz		novel "16 Stunden/26 Hours"

Cinematography by
Hideo Shigehara

Film Editing by
Kazuo Ishikawa

Costume Design by
Takashi Kisu

Camera and Electrical Department
Yûharu Atsuta	....	assistant camera
Masao Irie	....	assistant camera
Kazuo Kuribayashi	....	assistant camera
Toshimitsu Nakajima	....	lighting engineer

Production Companies

• Shôchiku Eiga

Distributors

• Shôchiku Eiga (1982) (USA)

Also Known As:

"Tôkyô no onna" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

Japan:47 min

Country:

Japan

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Shôchiku Eiga

Movie Connections:

Features If I Had a Million (1932)

A minor gem by Ozu

When I watched "Woman of Tokyo", I was struck by the theme which reminded me of Mizoguchi's works which were often on prostitution and its effects. With this film, Ozu also shares Mizoguchi's compassion for self-sacrificing women. See for yourself : in a poor working-class district of Tokyo, a woman named Chikako (Yoshiko Okada) shares a modest apartment with her brother Ryoichi (Ureo Egawa). Chikako works every day as an office typist and every evening on commissioned translations for a university professor, so Ryoichi can devote himself completely to his studies. However, Chikako comes under scrutiny when a police inspector pays an unexpected visit to her office one day. The nebulous and undisclosed nature of the investigation leads to speculation, and rumors begin to surface about Chikako's disreputable conduct by working as a cabaret hostess. In an attempt to mitigate the embarrassment of the brewing scandal, the well-intentioned Harue (Kinuyo Tanaka), Ryoichi's girlfriend, decides to alert Chikako of the gossip, but instead, reveals the information to Ryoichi. Outraged and ashamed by his sister's behavior, Ryoichi rejects Chikako and leaves home...

There are many things to enjoy in "Woman of Tokyo" (the plot and the acting, to start with), but first of all it is an interesting film for all those who would like to see en early elaboration of Ozu's style, especially in his use of domestic setting and confined, interior shots. There is also an overt tribute to Ernst Lubitsch (much admired by Ozu) with a full-frame excerpt from Lubitsch's short film entitled "The Clerk" taken from "If I Had a Million". Ozu will get only better and better after this "Woman of Tokyo".