Story of a Prostitute (1965) Shunpu den (original title)

Director:

Seijun Suzuki

Writers:

Hajime Takaiwa
Taijiro Tamura (story)

Release Date:

28 February 1965 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Prostitution | Suicide | Female Nudity | Remake

Cast

Yumiko Nogawa	...	Harumi
Tamio Kawaji	...	Shinkichi Mikami
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hiroshi Chô	...	Shibata
Eimei Esumi	...	Machida
Jûkei Fujioka	...	Kimura
Kotoe Hatsui	...	Tsuyuko
Kazuko Imai	...	Sachiko
Tomiko Ishii	...	Yuriko
Sokoto Kasai
Kayo Matsuo	...	Midori
Midori Mori	...	Takako
Shôichi Ozawa	...	Akiyama
Toshio Sugiyama
Kaku Takashina	...	Makita
Isao Tamagawa	...	Narita

Directed by
Seijun Suzuki

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hajime Takaiwa
Taijiro Tamura		story

Produced by
Kaneo Iwai	....	producer

Original Music by
Naozumi Yamamoto

Cinematography by
Kazue Nagatsuka

Film Editing by
Akira Suzuki

Production Design by
Takeo Kimura

Sound Department
Toshimi Katagiri	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Masahiro Takashima	....	gaffer

Production Companies

• Nikkatsu

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Nikkatsu (1993) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

"Shunpu den" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

West Germany:96 min | Japan:96 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 | USA:Not Rated | Germany:16 (re-rating)

Company:

Nikkatsu

Movie Connections:

Remake of Desertion at Dawn (1950)

Very Gripping

This film centers on Harumi (the great Yumiko Nogawa), who is a "comfort woman" who goes to the Manchurian Front in China during the war to service the men fighting there. From the beginning you know she has nothing left to lose. As you would expect, this movie has scenes which are pretty brutal, including violence and rape. However, Mr. Suzuki makes this film's pacing so superb, you can look beyond this and just keep watching to see what will happen next. Harumi's reactions and expressions in this film are amazing, Ms. Nogawa gives a performance of a lifetime. You understand her struggle, but more so you understand her heart. She falls in love and you know its no lie. You want her to have some measure of happiness in what is depicted here as a very cruel world. Not everyone can watch this of course, its violent and its a war picture. But this film had me spellbound to the last frame, and that is a ringing endorsement.