Powerful drama of the hardships of a woman in a mens society. Unlucky Oharu Okui is portrayed by the great actress
Kinuyo Tanaka and the film takes place at the end of the 17th century.
Oharo is a member of the Kyoto Royal Court and when she has a love affair with a man of low social standing (Toshiro
Mifune) he's executed and Oharu is thrown out from the Court and she and her parents are banned from the city.

Then it's downwards for her, almost until the end of the film. She ends up in the street as a too old and taunted prostitute
but has some inner strength and finds a way to reach enlightening and peace.
Until the films ending like a leaf she has been blown hither and thither, a sexual prey for disgusting men. With various men
drifting in and out of her life.

Booklet

When she's at the bottom the other prostitutes takes care of her and there's obvious sisterhood and friendship between
them. I especially likes the scene when they laugh at some statues of Buddah diciples in a temple, the stupid and slightly
pompuos looking men, some resembling worthless men they've known. A genuine sisterly laughter.
Kenji Mizoguchi, a feminist filmmaker ? The film is based on a 17th century novel by Saikaku Ihara

1.37:1 fullscreen original ratio with a japanese mono audio with english subtitles
Extras: Dudley Andrew on The Life of Oharu (audio essay 19 minutes), The travels of Kinuyo Tanaka (31 minutes about
her 1949 US journey) Booklet with a text essay