Naniwa ereji (Osaka elegy) 1936 - One of Mizoguchi's first true masterworks

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IMDB rating: 7,5

Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Main Cast: Isuzu Yamada, Seiichi Takegawa, Chiyoko Okura, Yoko Umemura

"At a time when heartwarming family dramas were the norm, Osaka Elegy (1936) delivered an unprecedented dose of hard reality to Japanese cinema. Considered Kenji Mizoguchi's finest pre-war work, along with Sisters of the Gion, this drama is a searing critique of social hypocrisy that moves the viewer without stooping to sentimentality. As in much of Mizoguchi's work, women suffer at the hands of men who are portrayed as vain, callous, and weak. Yet there is little room for the sort of wistful transcendence found in such later masterpieces as Life of Oharu (1952). Instead, there is an accusing finger pointed at society. The commentary in this film proved too sharp for some, and in 1940 the Japanese militarist government banned it as too pessimistic. Actress Isuzu Yamada delivers a stunning performance as the perpetually unfortunate Ayako, while Minoru Miki's cinematography deftly captures the glitz and squalor of Tokyo in the 1930s. For Mizoguchi, Osaka marked a significant turning point in his long and illustrious career: it was his first of many collaborations with screenwriter Yoshikata Yoda and his first film to showcase the elegant visual style made famous in such later classics as Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954). Osaka Elegy is a devastating work by a master approaching the pinnacle of his abilities." - www.allmovie.com

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