Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933)

Two schoolgirl friends drift apart when one of them falls for a handsome boy.

Director:

Hiroshi Shimizu

Writers:

Tôma Kitabayashi (story), Mitsu Suyama

Stars:

Michiko Oikawa, Yukiko Inoue, Ureo Egawa

Cast

Cast overview:
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)

Storyline

A bad boy can win their hearts and drive them apart even in the 1930s and even in Japan and even to Christians and even when the two girls have made a vow to each other. The two schoolgirls make a promise that is easily melted away and ignored once the western-named bad boy Henry and his motorcycle come into the picture. Their lives diverge instead of holding steady and clinging to their promise.

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Plot Keywords:

school girl | schoolgirl | sailor uniform | schoolgirl uniform | skirt | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1 June 1933 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Japanese Girls at the Harbor

Filming Locations:

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shôchiku Eiga

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

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.