Street of Shame (1956)

The personal tales of various prostitutes who occupy a brothel.

Director:

Kenji Mizoguchi

Writers:

Masashige Narusawa, Yoshiko Shibaki (novel)

Stars:

Machiko Kyô, Aiko Mimasu, Ayako Wakao

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Machiko Kyô	...	Mickey
Ayako Wakao	...	Yasumi
Michiyo Kogure	...	Hanae
Aiko Mimasu	...	Yumeko
Kenji Sugawara	...	Eiko
Yasuko Kawakami	...	Shizuko
Eitarô Shindô	...	Kurazô Taya
Bontarô Miake	...	Nightwatchman
Haruo Tanaka
Sadako Sawamura	...	Tatsuko Taya
Daisuke Katô	...	President of Brothel Owners' Association
Hisao Toake	...	Shiomi
Jun Tatara	...	Yumeko's client
Osamu Maruyama	...	Sato Yasukichi
Hiroko Machida	...	Yorie

Storyline

Five prostitutes work at Dreamland, in Tokyo's Yoshiwara district. As the Diet considers a ban on prostitution, the women's daily dramas play out. Each has dreams and motivations. Hanae is married, her husband unemployed; they have a young child. Yumeko, a widow, uses her earnings to raise and support her son, who's now old enough to work and care for her. The aging Yorie has a man who wants to marry her. Yasumi saves money diligently to pay her debt and get out; she also has a suitor who wants to marry her, but she has other plans for him. Mickey seems the most devil-may-care, until her father comes from Kobe to bring her news of her family and ask her to come home.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | diet | brothel | prostitution | f rated | 

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Taglines:

Machiko Kyo - A Girl From Tokyo's Yoshiwara Area!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Kenji Mizoguchi's final film. He died of leukemia only five months after its release at the age of 58.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Manshû Musume (aka: Manchurian girl)
Composed by Tetsuo Suzuki
Sung by Aiko Mimasu

User Reviews

Mizoguchi's final film, and his final masterpiece

Mizoguchi's swan song is one of his best, personally my second favorite film after Life of Oharu. This is the story of a group of modern day prostitutes in the red light district of Tokyo. Their sad stories are basic melodramas, but they are deeply affecting nonetheless. One is working to support her sick husband and their baby; they had planned to kill themselves until she found out she was pregnant. One went into the business to support a son who now rejects disowns her as his mother. One gets out of the business by marrying, but finds that marriage is even more demeaning than prostitution. One particularly clever one is manipulating a businessman to buy her way out of the place. Another ran away from home with an American G.I. and has begun to mimic Western attitudes and dress, which is a good selling point. Machiko Kyo is the standout as Mickey, the Westernized girl. She has the single best scene, where her father comes looking for her to bring her home. It's a stock scene, really, but Mizoguchi and Machiko Kyo turn it in a direction that I really didn't expect. I was liking the film a lot before this scene without loving it, but this bit blew me away – I loved every second thereafter. Scene after powerful scene lead up to one of the most amazing final shots in a film ever. Throughout the film, we are informed that politicians are trying to outlaw prostitution. In the film, it keeps failing. Due to this film that bill was finally passed.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

4 June 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Street of Shame

Filming Locations:

Yoshiwara, Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,549

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1