I don’t think Naruse had an explicitly political take on anything except a general comment on the treatment of women in Japan and their limited options. Perhaps dismay at the how the chimera of Western capitalism imposed on top of stubborn traditions and intractable social roles turned out to be just as oppressive to women and the poor as feudalism and militarism.
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is one of my top five but if anything ruins the film for me it’s the end where she turns Nakadai down. I don’t understand why any woman would do this. Ever.
@Machiko
I didn’t think the film was political, but it did remind me of Hollywood films that raise awareness to a social issue that the general public may not be aware of (other examples: Days of Wine and Roses (alcoholism), Vera Drake (abortion)). The film says this is the life of a hostess.
Re: Nakadai
At the end when Nakadai confesses and tries to kiss her, I just knew they wouldn’t work. But then again, I don’t have the hots for Nakadai. :) For me, I didn’t really buy her relationship with the banker. And then her resilience and strength she displays at his send-off and her going back to work didn’t seem earned—perhaps the film give enough time for the recovery for me.
Ha! True, my Nakadai love clouds the issue for me. Nakadai said somewhere that was an awkward film for him to do because Takamine was a star and he wasn’t established yet and had to slap her several times for that scene. Then the next year they did a film where he has to slap her around again and simulate raping her. That probably doesn’t make for a great offscreen friendship…
I saw this film on DVD last September for the first time. I thought it was a masterpiece of Japanese cinema on first viewing. I could understand her relationship with the banker. I don’t think it was real love. It was more a matter of weighing pros and cons and the pros outweighed the cons. It’s all a matter of negotiation. Nakadai’s character was problematic. He was too needy. She couldn’t deal with that. I understand that. And I don’t see the end as a “triumph.” I see it as her just plodding along, continuing to do what she’s been doing and forcing a smile at it. She tried to get out and it just failed. Very sad. But she’ll deal with it—just as she’s dealt with everything.
I tried to watch this film once, but I couldn’t get through it.
I don’t remember anything memorable about it.
Jazzaloha
Just saw this last night, and while I enjoyed the film, I’m not sure if it’s a great one.
Here are some thoughts/questions:
1. The film reminded me of those socially conscious Hollywood films, films that seem to want to educate the public on a socially important issue (e.g. The Best Years of Our Lives (what WWII veterans face when they return home); Philadelphia (what it’s like to be gay and have AIDS), etc.) I generally don’t really care for these films, mainly because they seem shallow and maybe simplistic (although I must say I really enjoyed Best Years).
2. The film also reminded me of feminist pictures like Vera Drake or even something like Nights of Cabiria (which may not be strictly feminist pictures). For example there is a kind of triumphant feeling in the ending that seems a little too pat. But I did like Hideko Takamine in this and she’s one of the many reasons that I enjoyed the film.
3. While the film looks very good, I found myself feeling like the filmmaking was a little too perfect and “square.” This is the sort of feeling I get from watching other Japanese filmmakers. I do like it, but I think I’d go crazy if this was the only type of films I had to watch.