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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Play trailer Poster for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs Released Jun 25, 1963 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Widow Keiko (Hideko Takamine) is a well-liked and decently paid bar hostess, but greedy relatives and ill-advised affairs leave her lonely and facing debts. No longer a young woman, she searches for romantic and financial stability. Her heart lies with the married Nobuhiko (Masayuki Mori), but she entertains the idea of wedding kindly suitor Matsukichi (Daisuke Katô) to escape the tedium of her days and the bleak future that will await her if she ages out of her trade without marrying.

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) It's also elegantly shot and scored; all that's missing is a touch of humour. Rated: 3/5 Jun 29, 2007 Full Review James Breen Daily Telegraph (UK) Sprint, don't walk, up those BFI steps to see it. Jun 29, 2007 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian The new retrospective of Mikio Naruse at London's BFI Southbank will do much to restore the reputation of a neglected Japanese director, and this 1960 film is a heartbreaking study, to be compared with Mizoguchi's Life of Oharu. Rated: 4/5 Jun 29, 2007 Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse The sincerity with which Naruse deals with his subject, the way he has shot, and his dedication to realism deem “When a Woman Ascends the Stairs” a true masterpiece. Rated: 10 Jan 3, 2023 Full Review Tynan Yanaga Film Inquiry Far from being moth-balled and prosaic, When a Woman Ascends The Stairs beats with the most devastating of lifebloods. If it's steadfastly Japanese, then it's equally universal. Oct 2, 2019 Full Review Jennie Kermode Eye for Film Rated: 5/5 Apr 4, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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irilight L Exceptional. Not to be missed Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review william d The story gets a bit over melodramatic towards the end, but I liked this movie a lot. Hideko Takamine creates one of the most sympathetic film characters ever with her portrayal of "Mama-san" Keiko. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is an excellent film from one of Japan's top directors, Mikio Naruse. It is beautifully shot and a heartbreaking story. It follows a woman who is a barmaid who works hard not to compromise her core values but realizes as she gets older, her options are getting smaller and she has some tough decisions to make. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and highly recommend it! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Somewhat comparable to the life of a modern day geisha. I love how the story focuses mainly on Mama's principles of purity that will be eventually destroyed in the end. It tells us one thing, we can never escape the consequences of our actions specially our work. The only fault in the movie is the abrupt ending which doesn't provide resolution to all that build up for Mama's fate. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Simple but we'll made movie with an interesting story. An interesting perspective of Japan in those times . Well direction and some good performances. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member There has never been another perfect Japanese melodrama much like what Naruse can bring us. Full review at filmbroadcaster.weebly.com Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

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Movie Info

Synopsis Widow Keiko (Hideko Takamine) is a well-liked and decently paid bar hostess, but greedy relatives and ill-advised affairs leave her lonely and facing debts. No longer a young woman, she searches for romantic and financial stability. Her heart lies with the married Nobuhiko (Masayuki Mori), but she entertains the idea of wedding kindly suitor Matsukichi (Daisuke Katô) to escape the tedium of her days and the bleak future that will await her if she ages out of her trade without marrying.
Director
Mikio Naruse
Screenwriter
Ryûzô Kikushima
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 25, 1963, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Feb 20, 2007
Runtime
1h 51m