When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Released Jun 25, 1963

1h 51m

Drama

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16 Reviews

93%

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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.

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

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James Breen

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Sprint, don't walk, up those BFI steps to see it.

Jun 29, 2007

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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

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Rated: 5/5

Apr 4, 2011

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irilight L

Exceptional. Not to be missed

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/05/23

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Mikio Naruse

Director

Hideko Takamine

Keiko Yashiro

Masayuki Mori

Nobuhiko Fujisaki

Reiko Dan

Junko Inchihashi

Tatsuya Nakadai

Kenichi Komatsu

Daisuke Katô

Matsukichi Sekine

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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