Sisters of the Gion

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william d I'm detecting a pattern in Mizoguchi's films. You watch the first two thirds or so of the movie wondering why you're wasting your time, then the final third takes an impressive dramatic turn that makes it all worthwhile. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Watching this 1936 film in 2019 offers some lessons. First, that women's mistreatment by men was fully recognised and challenged this early. Second, that Mizoguchi was able to express this clearly in pre-war Japan. Oh, have we moved backwards or forwards since then? (Of course, I know that the suffragette movement was already in full flourish a century ago but worldwide progress seems slow). Two sisters living and working as geisha in the Gion district of Kyoto take opposite approaches to men. Umekichi feels an obligation to support the man who has been kind to her (as a "patron") even after his business has collapsed and his wife has left him a pauper. But Omocha feels that men are forever taking advantage of women, treating them as "playthings" and she vows to do everything she can to get back at them. The plot then involves Omocha scheming and lying and taking advantage of drunken and gullible men (who are obviously suckers to their sexual desires). Perhaps in 1936, Omocha was the villain and sympathies were aligned with Umekichi? I don't really think so, despite the fact that Omocha is (physically) punished for her actions (by a less powerful man she "cheated"). After all, Umekichi is also spurned by the man in whom she invested her care and concern. Therefore, the much more logical conclusion is that Mizoguchi is instead showing us that "women can't win" no matter whether they choose to side with men and support them or to confront men and challenge their dominance. Until power differences really do change, that is the likely reality. Of course, in 1936, the safe course was for Mizoguchi to end the film by saying the life of the geisha is hard ï¿ 1/2 but no doubt he knew that this extended to women as a group (as witnessed by all of the women suffering in his other films). Let's hope that equal rights, equal pay, etc. for women (and all gender categories) will be here soon (we will need to continue to vote wisely and to fight). Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review spencer p Another expertly filmed working-class entry in Kenji Mizoguchi's filmography, though it comes with a more run-of-the-mill, partially unsatisfactory story. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Good but really only shows the promise that was fulfilled in his later work. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member While Sisters of the Gion may not be as dramatically satisfying as one hoped, there is no denying the power of Mizoguchi's vehement assault on traditional Japanese culture as misogynistic and cruel. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The life of two sisters working in the licensed redlight district of Kyoto. One of the most impactful and realistic films of pre-war Japan that regardless of its brevity manages to squeeze in a remarkable amount of Japanese culture of the time and denounce the treatment of women. Mizoguchi strengthens his style of fixed long shots and long sequence takes to portray his story. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sisters of the Gion

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