The Life of Oharu

Infobox_Film
name = The Life of Oharu


caption = original Japanese movie poster made by Shintōhō
imdb_id = 0045112
writer = Kenji Mizoguchi
Yoshikata Yoda
starring = Kinuyo Tanaka
Tsukie Matsuura
Ichirô Sugai
Toshirô Mifune
Takashi Shimura
director = Kenji Mizoguchi
producer = Hideo Koi
Kenji Mizoguchi
distributor = Shintōhō
released = April 3, 1952
runtime = 148 min
language = Japanese
amg_id = 1:29253
budget =

nihongo|"The Life of Oharu"|西鶴一代女 |Saikaku Ichidai Onna is a 1952 film by director Kenji Mizoguchi starring Kinuyo Tanaka as Oharu, a one-time concubine of a "daimyō" (and mother of a later "daimyō") who struggles to escape the stigma of having been sold into prostitution by her father. Based on a novel by Ihara Saikaku, the film constitutes an excellent example of the long take aesthetic, which Mizoguchi employed extensively throughout his career.

Background

"The Life of Oharu" is based on various stories from Ihara Saikaku’s "The Life of an Amorous Woman". It was produced by the Shintoho Company, with cinematography by Yoshimi Hirano and screenplay by Yoshikata Yoda. Starring Kinuyo Tanaka (in what is perhaps her most famous role) as Oharu, the film tells a poignant story that uses the experiences of a struggling geisha to examine the issues of class and rigid hierarchy in Japanese society. It has been claimed that this movie was one of Kenji Mizoguchi’s favorite projects, even though it was under financed. "The Life of Oharu" won the International Prize at the 1952 Venice International Film Festival.

Plot

The story opens on Oharu as an old woman in a temple flashing back through the events of her life. It begins with her love affair with a page, the result of which (due to their class difference) is his execution and her family’s banishment. Oharu attempts suicide but fails and is sold to be the mistress of Lord Matsudaira with the hope she will bear him a son. She does, but then is sent home with minimal compensation to the dismay of her father, who has worked up quite a debt in the meantime. He sends her to be a courtesan, but there, too, she fails and is again sent home. She goes to serve the family of a woman who must hide the fact that she is bald from her husband. The woman becomes jealous of Oharu and makes her chop off her hair, but Oharu retaliates, revealing the woman’s secret. She again must leave—this time she marries a fan maker who is killed shortly after during a robbery. She attempts to become a nun, but is thrown out for seducing a man seeking reimbursement for fabric that she took. She is thrown out of the temple, becomes a prostitute, but fails even at that. In the end, she is recalled to the Lord’s house in order to keep secret her activities and to be exiled within the compounds to keep her secrets locked away. While being scolded for the life she chose, she attempts to find her son, and in the process, ends up running away as she chooses the life of a beggar over the life in exile.

Gender Issues

Oharu faces some major conflicts of interest as her role as a woman in society changes with each stage she enters. During the course of her entire life, she is seen as having little autonomy, from being chosen for her perfect face and perfect body by the Lord Matsudaira’s servant to being forced into prostitution as everything else fails. Furthermore, her role in the society is greatly strained as she was originally cast aside during her initial love affair.

Director

The director of "The Life of Oharu", Kenji Mizoguchi, is considered one of the masters of what is often called the “Golden Age of Japanese cinema.” Mizoguchi’s films were influenced heavily by his childhood. Events such as the loss of his sister and mother through sale to a geisha house and death, respectively, as well as his father’s inability to take care of his family played a major role in deciding what kind of films Mizoguchi would come to direct. Common themes in Mizoguchi’s films are sudden changes in class, oppressive male figures of authority, and the woman protagonist who sacrifices everything only to have her life ruined. Mizoguchi experienced all of these at some level as he grew up in Tokyo. These themes are most prevalent in his films: "Osaka Elegy", "The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums", "The Life of Oharu", "Sansho the Bailiff", and "Ugetsu". Films such as these helped establish Mizoguchi's reputation as a feminist director.

Main Characters

Oharu- The protagonist whose bad luck and misfortune lead to various struggles in life.

Tomo, Oharu’s Mother- A kind character in the film; her mother tended to side with Oharu and did not wish to see her become a courtesan.

Shinzaemon, Oharu’s Father- Oharu’s father was consumed by both money and social status. His misjudgments about Oharu caused much of her downfall.

Katsunosuke- A page who courted Oharu and they fell into a forbidden love. He is beheaded once their relationship is discovered.

Lord Harutaka Matsudaira- He takes Oharu as a mistress in order to bear a child heir. Unfortunately for Oharu, he falls in love with Oharu and his wife’s jealousy causes her dismissal.

Lady Matsudaira- The wife of Harutaka Matsudaira who, because of her jealousy of her husband’s love for Oharu, banishes her.

Yakichi Ogiya- He was a respected fan maker who married Oharu, however, he is tragically murdered shortly into their marriage.

Fumikichi

Sodegaki

Kikuoji

Tasaburo Hishiya

Yoshioka

External links

*imdb title|id=0045112|title=The Life of Oharu
*
* [http://freevideoandmusic.blogspot.com/2007/09/kenji-mizoguchi-saikaku-ichidai-onna.html download movie] (1463.3 MB, 560 × 416 pixels, English subtitles forced in the film.)