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The Life of Oharu (1952)

Saikaku ichidai onna (original title)
Not Rated | | Drama | 20 April 1964 (USA)
The Life of Oharu Poster
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of the society.

Director:

Writers:

(novel), | 1 more credit »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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2 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Oharu
Tsukie Matsuura ... Tomo, Oharu's Mother
... Shinzaemon, Oharu's Father
... Katsunosuke
Toshiaki Konoe ... Lord Harutaka Matsudaira
Kiyoko Tsuji ... Landlady
Hisako Yamane ... Lady Matsudaira
Jûkichi Uno ... Yakichi Ogiya
... Kahe Sasaya
Akira Ôizumi ... Fumikichi, Sasaya's Friend
Kyôko Kusajima ... Sodegaki
Masao Shimizu ... Kikuoji
Daisuke Katô ... Tasaburo Hishiya
Toranosuke Ogawa ... Yoshioka
Hiroshi Oizumi ... Manager Bunkichi
See full cast »
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Storyline

A fifty-year-old prostitute, no longer able to attract men, looks back on her sad life. Once a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court at Kyoto, Oharu fell in love with, and became the lover of, a man below her station. They were discovered, and Oharu and her family were exiled. For Oharu there followed a life filled with one sorrow and humiliation after another. Written by George S. Davis <mgeorges@prodigy.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

court | love | prostitute | running away | tragic ending | See All (92) »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

20 April 1964 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Life of Oharu  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Jacques Rivette's favorite film. See more »

Quotes

Katsunosuke: Lady Oharu, a human being - no, woman - can only be happy if she marries for love. Rank and money don't mean happiness.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Opening credits shown over Japanese artwork/water-colors. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Nihon eiga no hyaku nen (1995) See more »

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User Reviews

Beautiful but depressing
5 July 2004 | by – See all my reviews

Mizoguchi's exquisite compositions and direction, along with the fine pacing and excellent acting, make this a must-see, but I don't think I'll see it again anytime soon.

To Western eyes, anyway, this story of a 17th Century woman's downfall -- from growing up in the Imperial Court to dying as a broken streetwalker, is affecting but frustrating.

Mizoguchi's point about the cruel limitations on Japanese women's lives during this period is made clearly, but Oharu's passivity is maddening. People cheat, seduce, betray, and ruin her again and again -- and she just bows her head and takes it.

This may be historically and culturally accurate, but it doesn't improve the story, which becomes a bit monotonous at times.

OHARU is a fine film, but as characters I prefer the spunkier, better-characterized prostitutes of STREET OF SHAME, the director's final film.
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