The Masseurs and a Woman (1938)

Two blind masseurs travel to a mountain retreat. One of them falls for a visiting lady from Tokyo and investigates a series of thefts.

Director:

Hiroshi Shimizu

Writer:

Hiroshi Shimizu

Stars:

Shotaro Akagi, Shin'ichi Himori, Ayuko Hirano

Cast

Credited cast:
Shotaro Akagi
Shin'ichi Himori	...	Fukuinchi Misawa
Ayuko Hirano	...	Hiking girl
Toru Hirose	...	Hiking student
Zentaro Iijima	...	Kamekichi
Akio Isono	...	Hiking student
Hideko Kasuga	...	Okiku
Toshiaki Konoe	...	Hiking student
Chieko Kyotani	...	Oaki (as Chieko Kyoya)
Fusako Maki	...	Hiking girl
Mitsuko Miura	...	Hiking girl
Hiroshi Mizuhara	...	Hiking student
Masako Nakaido	...	Hiking girl
Ren Niki	...	Head clerk
Tsuneo Ohsugi	...	Kitaro (as Tsuneo Osugi)

Storyline

Two blind masseurs Toku and Fuku walk to a mountain retreat to work for the season. The film follows Toku and his interactions with his blind colleagues and various guests from the inns. Toku is attracted to a mysterious single woman, whom he can tell is from Tokyo by her scent. She is intrigued by him, but also makes friends with another visitor from Tokyo who is traveling with his young nephew. The bored nephew, looking for amusement, meets with the woman from Tokyo, as well as with Toku. A rash of thefts at the inns soon after they arrive causes Toku suspect one of these guests.

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Connections

Remade as My Darling of the Mountains (2008)

User Reviews

Beautiful japanese gem from 1938

The director (and writer) Hiroshi Shimizu brings us a gem from 1930s Japanese cinema.

The story is touching, and the motion picture has the rare property of being able to bring you into the world it is depicting; which in this movie's case is a world of mountains, calm old-fashioned Japanese interior settings, as well as calm small rivers and forests.

The effect of this movie upon the attentive viewer is one of calmness, and the way in which the picture immerses us into the world is at times even intense. You will recognize the mentioned intensity in some intimate scenes.

Furthermore, the characters are well-thought-out and appear very real. But somehow the experience seems more true, than if it had been a documentary filming temporary inhabitants of the lodgings...

The music (when it at tasteful intervals plays) is delightful - as is the old-fashioned beauty of the by then only 19-year old heroine, played by Mieko Takamine.

The movements of the camera as well as knowing when to keep the camera in place are noticeable, and are typical of the virtuosity of early Japanese cinema styles; leaving behind unforgettable images of a woman holding an umbrella with a downcast glance into a river, raindrops onto water and a horse carriage rolling down a rickety path away from the place where the story unfolds...

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

7 July 1938 (Japan)

Also Known As:

The Masseurs and a Woman

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1