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Osaka Elegy

Play trailer Poster for Osaka Elegy Released May 5, 1936 1h 11m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A telephone operator turns to prostitution after being fired from the Japanese pharmaceutical firm where she was also her boss's mistress.

Critics Reviews

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Geoff Andrew Time Out The film prefigures Mizoguchi's later work in its angry emphasis on double standards, its visual precision and its engaged but never preachy tone. Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Fred Camper Chicago Reader One of Kenji Mizoguchi's finest efforts. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Powerful feminist drama with creative visual style. Dec 3, 2016 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion The caustic social critic rather than the transcendental mythmaker, Kenji Mizoguchi arranges space exquisitely and fills it acerbically. Feb 26, 2013 Full Review David Parkinson Radio Times Mizoguchi regular Isuzu Yamada contributes a superb display of abused decency, but it's the director's astute visual sense that gives the picture its power. Rated: 5/5 Feb 26, 2013 Full Review Jeremy Heilman MovieMartyr.com By the end of Osaka Elegy, Ayoko's situation warrants nothing less than a universal call for empathy. Rated: 82/100 Feb 15, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (34) audience reviews
Kenneth P Everyone else has praised the story, so let me emphasize how the camera work uniquely exploits the architecture of the sets and spaces. The opening scene has no humans, only sounds in a space. Its like another character. .Watching this film will cange the way you see every other movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/28/24 Full Review william d Most of the movie is standard melodrama/soap opera stuff, but it takes a nice dramatic turn towards the end that pushed it into the "recommendation zone" for me. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review s r Good for its time, but I struggled with this drama. Saw on HBO. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a great film from the Master Kenji Mizoguchi and is now the 3 rd of his I've seen after "Sansho the Bailiff" and "Ugetsu". This is an earlier work of his, from 1936, but I was impressed by how stylishly shot it was and the solid camera work. It is an examination of double-standards as a young woman does everything/anything she can to help her family who are in financial trouble, and is cast out in disgrace as a result. The film is powerfully told and highly recommended! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review spencer p A simple example of early sound film drama that dares to be honest about poverty's difficulties, and works entirely on the keen script and performances. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Japanese melodrama, beautifully filmed and performed. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Osaka Elegy

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Cast & Crew

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Kenji Mizoguchi

Director

Isuzu Yamada

Ayako Murai

Seiichi Takegawa

Junzo Murai

Chiyoko Ôkura

Sachiko Murai

Shinpachiro Asaka

Hiroshi Murai

Benkei Shiganoya

Sonosuke Asai
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Osaka Elegy

Osaka Elegy (1936) Osaka Elegy (1936) Osaka Elegy (1936) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A telephone operator turns to prostitution after being fired from the Japanese pharmaceutical firm where she was also her boss's mistress.
Director
Kenji Mizoguchi
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
May 5, 1936, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 15, 2020
Runtime
1h 11m