The Life of Oharu

Kenji Mizoguchi was one of Japan's most prolific directors. It was only late in his career that he became internationally known and a household name. Most famous possibly for 'Ugetso', Mizoguchi made a little film called 'The Life of Oharu' by which he gained a lot of attention, which then led to him making 'Ugetso'. This is by no means a happy film. in fact, it is one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen, but it's also an important one, as it shows what life was like for women during a certain time in Japanese history.

We first see a group of prostitutes huddled around a fire, trying to keep warm in the mean streets of 17th century Kyoto. One of them goes by the name Oharu (Kinuyo Tanaka). She is now getting up in her years and wondering where the time has gone. One of the younger prostitutes asks Oharu how she ended up being a "lady of the evening", thus beginning a series of flashback sequences to a younger Oharu.

Oharu's life is not for the weak at heart and is filled with so many obstacles and harrowing moments that you can only feel pity and sorrow for this woman. After a love affair with Katsunosuke (Toshiro Mifune), a lower end page, Oharu and her family are exiled while Katsunosuke is executed for his crime. After this, Oharu attempts suicide but fails. Her father becomes increasingly angry at her, eventually selling her to Lord Matsudaira (Toshiaki Konoe), who uses her for nothing more than to procreate one child.

She proves successful at bearing his child, but after the kid is born, he sends her back to her family. Once back, her dad has acquired a big debt that he must pay off. He even thinks that she was banished from Matsudaira for her being a poor servant and seductress, and feels she is a disgrace. So he sells her again to a house that doubles as a brothel. The main lady at this house is bald and is secretly hiding this fact from her husband. In jealousy, the woman tries to cut Oharu's hair. Oharu won't let her, which then gets her kicked out onto the streets.

Oharu meets Yakichi, (Jukichi Uno), a nice and modest man who actually falls in love with Oharu for all the right reasons. Unfortunately, shortly after they are married, he is killed during a robbery at is store. She is emotionally shattered by this, turns to religion and becomes a nun, however that doesn't work out either. Now she lives as a prostitute on the streets of Japan, with nothing to her name.

It only gets worse from there. Mizoguchi perfectly captures this time period where women were second class citizens and had virtually no place in society, except to serve. Oharu tries to lead a balanced life and find love, but it seems something tragic happens around every turn, and she is forced to the streets without a single chance to do anything to better her lot in life.

Tanaka does an impressive job as Oharu, a role that is very difficult to portray. She shows all the horrors of her life in her facial expressions without overdoing it. She is remembered for this role and deservedly so. 'The Life of Oharu' is a bleak one, but also an important history lesson, and character study of a woman trying to lead a normal life in 17th century Japan.