Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933) Minato no nihonmusume (original title)

Director:

Hiroshi Shimizu

Writers:

Tôma Kitabayashi (story)
Mitsu Suyama (writer)

Release Date:

1 June 1933 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Cast

Michiko Oikawa	...	Sunako Kurokawa
Yukiko Inoue	...	Dora Kennel
Ureo Egawa	...	Henry
Ranko Sawa	...	Yôko Sheridan
Yumeko Aizome	...	Masumi
Tatsuo Saitô	...	Miura - a Painter
Yasuo Nanjo	...	Harada - a Gentleman (as Yasuo Nanjô)

Directed by
Hiroshi Shimizu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tôma Kitabayashi		story
Mitsu Suyama		writer

Cinematography by
Taro Sasaki

Set Decoration by
Kotaro Inoue

Costume Design by
Tetsuzo Shibata

Makeup Department
Sueko Endô	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Isao Numanami	....	assistant director
Tai Ogiwara	....	assistant director
Yasushi Sasaki	....	assistant director
Takeshi Sato	....	assistant director

Art Department
Takashi Kanasu	....	designs
Taro Yahagi	....	chief set constructor

Camera and Electrical Department
Seiji Nishiyama	....	assistant photographer
Toshio Ubukata	....	assistant photographer
Tatsumi Yoshimura	....	set lighting
Saburô Yoshiyama	....	assistant photographer

Other crew
Hidesaburô Fujioka	....	title designer
Kiyomitsu Hinata	....	text photography
Tetsu Kanamori	....	stage manager
Toshimi Nassho	....	film development

Production Companies

• Shôchiku Eiga

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Eclipse from the Criterion Collection (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Minato no nihonmusume" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:72 min (Hong Kong International Film Festival) | USA:72 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Company:

Shôchiku Eiga

Excellent

I just watched this film and it is brilliant. The story is about two schoolgirls, Sunako (an amazing Michiko Oikawa) and Dora (Yukiko Inoue) who both like Henry, who drives a motorcycle. He spends time with Sunako, but then its found out Henry has been spending time with the somewhat vampish Yoko. Sunako confronts him, then her and violence is the result. Sunako flees and becomes a prostitute, while Dora marries Henry. Sunako comes back to Yokohama and meets her former friends Dora and Henry, and wants to get out of the world she has made for herself. This film is completely silent, no music track. It is available with English subtitles, being part of a recent domestic release by Criterion films. This film has elements of lust, love, betrayal, hopelessness and regret. It lasts almost 72 minutes, but for me it could have gone on for another forty minutes and I wouldn't have minded. The relationships of the characters are simply told and rather than many fade outs which the director Mr. Shimizu used in "Masseurs And The Woman" he favors tight editing here, with little camera tricks. The story may be simply told but it is fascinating. Michiko Oikawa is so good as Sunako, her expressions are perfect and how you feel about her changes often. I don't find it difficult to follow at all. It has elements of Kenji Mizoguchi's style, but it really is a great film. Buy the box set, even for just this film, though I liked the others in the set. In my opinion, this is the best one in the set and with so many films from Japan criminally lost, this is a grateful find. It really moved me.