The Woman in the Rumor (1954)
"Uwasa no onna" (original title)

Hatsuko Umabuchi is a widow who runs a prosperous geisha house in present day Kyoto. Her daughter Yukiko returns from Tokyo following a failed suicide attempt, after her lover found out ... See full summary »

Director:

Kenji Mizoguchi

Writers:

Masashige Narusawa, Yoshikata Yoda

Stars:

Kinuyo Tanaka, Tomoemon Otani, Yoshiko Kuga

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kinuyo Tanaka	...	Hatsuko Mabuchi
Tomoemon Otani	...	Dr. Kenji Matoba
Yoshiko Kuga	...	Yukiko Mabuchi
Eitarô Shindô	...	Yasuichi Harada
Bontarô Miake	...	Kobayashi
Chieko Naniwa	...	Osaki
Haruo Tanaka	...	Kawamoto
Hisao Toake	...	Yamada
Michiko Ai	...	Aioi Dayu
Sachiko Mine	...	Chiyo
Yôko Wakasugi	...	Tamakoto Dayu
Kimiko Tachibana	...	Usugumo Dayu
Teruyo Hasegawa	...	Kisaragi Dayu
Teruko Daimi	...	Onoue Dayu
Kan Ueda	...	Takeshita

Storyline

Hatsuko Umabuchi is a widow who runs a prosperous geisha house in present day Kyoto. Her daughter Yukiko returns from Tokyo following a failed suicide attempt, after her lover found out about her mother's profession. Hatsuko is having a discrete affair with the young Dr. Matoba, who looks after the geisha girls. The doctor is attracted to Yukiko, who initially despises him and everything connected with the geisha house. However Yukiko gradually changes her views.

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Plot Keywords:

geisha | widow | suicide attempt | kyoto japan | prostitution | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

20 June 1954 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Woman in the Rumor

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (1975)

User Reviews

Another outstanding Mizoguchi's film

There is not really much that could be said about this beautifully executed film; if you are familiar with Mizoguchi's themes, you will most likely know that the majority of his films are based on women's suffering. This film is no exception; it revolves around a geisha house run by a widow whose daughter had attempted to commit suicide, after her boyfriend found out about her mother's everyday profession (this can actually be found in the film's synopsis). However, the daughter then decides to look after all the women carrying out their duties at her mother's business, as she learns they are there because hard times require it. Between mother and daughter mediates a young doctor who also takes part in the business, taking good care of the geisha.

I would recommend this film to anyone interested in classic Japanese cinema. However, if you are new to Mizoguchi, you might want to start with his most famous films.

My score: 9/10