The Woman in the Rumor

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Audience Member A powerful, multi-layered performance from Kinuyo Yanaka in this tale of an ageing Geisha in a rivalry with her smart pianist daughter over the love of a man is this movie's greatest strength; almost all of its emotional impact and dramatic intensity comes from her. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Director Mizoguchi explores one of his favorite subjects (prostitution) in an enjoyable, fast-paced melodrama. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Sixty-five years later, it is refreshing (and somewhat disconcerting) to see how clearly Mizoguchiâ(TM)s film addresses womenâ(TM)s plight in a male-dominated world (disconcerting because the âme tooâ? movement suggests how little progress has been made). Kinuyo Tanaka (one of the directorâ(TM)s favourite actresses and a tremendous one) runs a brothel in Kyoto and is successful enough to send her daughter Yukiko (Yoshiko Kuga) away to a good college in Tokyo. By all accounts, she is a good madam but when her daughter returns (in modern dress and short haircut), she rejects the business on principle because it subjugates women. We do see some awful drunken men groping the geishas/courtesans and a condescending rich man offering to help run the business (Tanakaâ(TM)s husband is long deceased) ⦠for a price. But the main dynamic in the film involves a young doctor (Tomoemon Otani) who has been tending to the girls at the brothel (who have regular illnesses due to their line of work) and is also being well looked after by Tanaka. Indeed, she is willing to pay 2.5 million yen to set him up with his own clinic, despite the fact that this will require her to mortgage the brothel and/or accept a loan from the sleazy businessman. At first, it seems that she is trying to pair the doctor with her daughter and the two do soon fall in love â" but alas it turns out that Tanakaâ(TM)s madam really wanted the doctor for herself. Mizoguchi cruelly twists the knife by having the characters attend a performance of a Noh drama that ridicules and older woman who has fallen in love with a younger man (the double standard should be more than apparent to viewers as they see the parade of older salarymen visiting the young geishas). Of course, the doctor has been a willing recipient of Tanakaâ(TM)s affection and gifts, so it feels a terrible betrayal when he rejects her for the daughter. But late in the film Yukiko feels sympathy for her mother (or empathy because Yukiko too was rejected by a suitor and nearly committed suicide) and this extends to the young women who work in the brothel. In a surprising turn of events, she joins their side. I canâ(TM)t quite reconcile the filmâ(TM)s final scenes with my thesis that Mizoguchi is an early feminist but I am trying â" the brothel business continues with the daughter in charge. Has she found that this is how she can support women because (pathetically) men and the world will never change? Sixty-five years later, it turns out that this could be true. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member I must say, I expected the film to be less complex technically and narratively more accessible. The story itself isn't so far from what Mizoguchi has done, but the technical form isn't much to compare to his previous works (or maybe, all his works; I haven't watch much yet). There are some long shots, but only few tracking shot and deliberate cuts. I think Mizoguchi was trying to embrace his mainstream audience with this film, but he was trying less hard. I like it overall, but it wouldn't be enough for his fans. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Mizoguchi was not happy with this assignment, but he was notoriously fussy and self-critical, so for Japanese film buffs this geisha tale, starring for Mizoguchi for the last time his great star Kinuyo Tanaka, this is perfectly suitable next to "Miss Oyu" and "Gion Bayashi" in the director's end of career geisha-fests. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member A film by Mizoguchi, guess what it's about? If you said "whores with problems," give yourself a gold star. He sure did find a niche for himself. Oh, the details are different and the scenario has some new elements, but the setting (geisha house) and the message (the system perpetuates the misery of women) are familiar territory. Still, I won't punish one movie just because it's like so many others. It's all done quite well, doesn't rise above the pack but with no significant missteps either. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Woman in the Rumor

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