A Geisha (1953)

In the post-war, the sixteen year-old teenager Eiko seeks out the geisha Miyoharu in the district of Gion, in Kyoto asking her to be a "maiko" (apprentice of geisha). Eiko explains that her... See full summary »

Director:

Kenji Mizoguchi

Writers:

Matsutarô Kawaguchi (novel), Matsutarô Kawaguchi (screenplay)

Stars:

Michiyo Kogure, Ayako Wakao, Seizaburô Kawazu

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Michiyo Kogure	...	Miyoharu
Ayako Wakao	...	Eiko
Seizaburô Kawazu	...	Kusuda
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Saburô Date	...	Imanishi
Kyôko Hisamatsu	...	Young girl
Sumao Ishihara	...	Kokichi
Kanae Kobayashi	...	Hairdresser
Keiko Kobayashi
Midori Komatsu	...	Oume
Kanji Koshiba	...	Kanzaki
Kazuko Maeda	...	Maid
Ryusuke Maki
Tokiko Mita	...	Apprentice geisha #1
Kikue Môri	...	Domestic arts teacher
Chieko Naniwa	...	Okimi

Storyline

In the post-war, the sixteen year-old teenager Eiko seeks out the geisha Miyoharu in the district of Gion, in Kyoto asking her to be a "maiko" (apprentice of geisha). Eiko explains that her mother, who was a geisha and Miyoharu's friend, has just passed away; her father Sawamoto has failed in business; and her uncle is harassing her. Miyoharu is a warm-hearted woman and accepts to train her. One year later, Eiko's father refuses to be her guarantor and Miyoharu borrows a large amount from the tea-house owner Okimi to buy her kimono and debut in a party. Miyoharu changes Eiko's name to Miyoe and introduces the teenager to clients as her sister. Soon Miyoharu is charged for the money but neither she nor Miyoe wants to have patrons.

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Plot Keywords:

geisha | post war | attempted rape | japan | generation gap | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 June 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Geisha

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Miyoharu: A geisha's lie is not a real lie. It's a cornerstone of our profession. Do we not amuse our clients by agreeing to all their requests?

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Connections

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

User Reviews

The Life of a Geisha

In the post-war, the sixteen year-old teenager Eiko (Ayako Wakao) seeks out the geisha Miyoharu (Michiyo Kogure) in the district of Gion, in Kyoto asking her to be a "maiko" (apprentice of geisha). Eiko explains that her mother, who was a geisha and Miyoharu's friend, has just passed away; her father Sawamoto (Eitarô Shindô) has failed in business; and her uncle is harassing her.

Miyoharu is a warm-hearted woman and accepts to train her. One year later, Eiko's father refuses to be her guarantor and Miyoharu borrows a large amount from the tea-house owner Okimi (Chieko Naniwa) to buy her kimono and debut in a party. Miyoharu changes Eiko's name to Miyoe and introduces the teenager to clients as her sister. Soon Miyoharu is charged for the money but neither she nor Miyoe wants to have patrons.

"Gion bayashi", a.k.a. "A Geisha", shows the life of geisha in the early 50's as exploited women without other alternative in life but pleasing clients, no matter how abusive they can be. The cruel system imposes an initial debt of a large amount to someone in order that the woman becomes slave of the "tea-house owner', or a businessman that may become his "patron" and is almost impossible to leave the prostitution. Both lead characters are strong women bowed by the system. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available.