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Osaka Elegy

Original title: Naniwa erejî
  • 1936
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
Osaka Elegy (1936)
ComedyDrama

A young woman becomes a mistress of her boss in order to support her family.A young woman becomes a mistress of her boss in order to support her family.A young woman becomes a mistress of her boss in order to support her family.

  • Director
    • Kenji Mizoguchi
  • Writers
    • Tadashi Fujiwara
    • Kenji Mizoguchi
    • Saburo Okada
  • Stars
    • Isuzu Yamada
    • Yôko Umemura
    • Chiyoko Ôkura
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    2.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kenji Mizoguchi
    • Writers
      • Tadashi Fujiwara
      • Kenji Mizoguchi
      • Saburo Okada
    • Stars
      • Isuzu Yamada
      • Yôko Umemura
      • Chiyoko Ôkura
    • 21User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos41

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    Top cast14

    Edit
    Isuzu Yamada
    Isuzu Yamada
    • Ayako Murai
    Yôko Umemura
    • Sumiko Asai
    Chiyoko Ôkura
    • Sachiko Murai
    Kiyoko Ôkubo
    • Sadako Yokoo
    Shinpachirô Asaka
    • Hiroshi Murai
    Benkei Shiganoya
    • Sonosuke Asai
    Eitarô Shindô
    Eitarô Shindô
    • Yoshizo Fujino
    Kunio Tamura
    • Dr. Yu Yoko
    Seiichi Takegawa
    • Junzo Murai
    Kensaku Hara
    • Susumu Nishimura
    Shizuko Takizawa
    • Mine Fukuda
    Mitsuzo Tachibana
    • Bunzaburo Matsushita
    Takashi Shimura
    Takashi Shimura
    • Detective Goro Minegishi
    Kasuke Koizumi
      • Director
        • Kenji Mizoguchi
      • Writers
        • Tadashi Fujiwara
        • Kenji Mizoguchi
        • Saburo Okada
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews21

      7.22.7K
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      Featured reviews

      ricsan

      First real Mizoguchi film in Mizoguchi's career

      This is the first collaboration between Mizoguchi and writer Yoshikata Yoda, with the actress Isuzu Yamada in the principal role, as a young telephonist pushed to prostitution to save her ruined family, and then repudiated by them. Mizoguchi begins his impressive mastership with the framing and the perspective and, though still far from his masterpieces, is an interesting milestone for the Mizoguchi admirers.
      9crossbow0106

      A Great Early Mizoguchi Film

      The first film included in the Criterion Collewction's "Mizoguchi's Fallen Women", this is the story of Ayako (a pretty great Isuzu Yamada who, according to this website, is still wonderfully with us), who is a switchboard operator who needs 300 yen to prevent her father getting in major trouble. To get the money, she spends time with her boss. This is, of course, little more than being a companion. One of Mizoguchi's gifts as a director (he also wrote the story) is that in many of his films his characters were not sympathetic yet he does not wholly judge the. The key is, what would you do? The film could never be in color, it is a noirish, gray film. The story is compelling, the acting is uniformly good, with Ms. Yamada really standing out, and the direction is, of course, flawless. I've also seen "Sisters Of The Gion" and "Streets Of Shame" from this collection. Buy it! Mizoguchi was one of the giants of 20th century cinema from any country. This film is highly recommended.
      emilyelizabeth1283

      Osaka Elegy

      There are so many interesting things going on in this film, and several of them surprised me. I loved Ayake (played by Isuzu Yamada) and the voices of the women in general. I couldn't help but contrast Ayake's headstrong will and fierceness to Yasujiro Ozu's Noriko in Tokyo Story (played by Setsuko Hara). Noriko was the perfect picture of traditional grace and dedication in a Japanese woman and she fit in perfectly with Ozu's straight lines and symmetrical framing. Ayake, on the other hand, is shadowed by an almost conspiratorial camera which cleverly spies on the fore and background simultaneously, and creeps behind walls and curtains to follow the characters and listen in on their conversations, amplifying the sense of daring and defiance of Ayake's character. The inventiveness of so many varying shots stole my attention more than anything else, though I also appreciated the quick and steady pacing of the story as it unfolded, predominantly led by Ayake.

      http://funkyforestfirstcontact.wordpress.com/i-just-saw/
      7Uriah43

      A Good Japanese Pre-World War 2 Movie

      This film begins with a relatively wealthy--but extremely grouchy--old man by the name of "Sonosuke Asai" (Benkei Shiganoya) harping on all those around him for very minor issues. It's during this time that his wife "Sumiko" (Yôko Umemura) sarcastically recommends that he gets himself a young mistress since he no longer finds her appealing. That being said, it just so happens that there is a young employee at his office named "Ayako Murai" (Isuzu Yamada) that he finds quite attractive and knowing that she is in desperate need of money due to a family matter offers her the unenviable position. In any case, faced with very little choice she reluctantly accepts his offer. Unfortunately, even though she tries to do what is best for her family, she soon discovers that she has lost the respect of everyone of any consequence to her. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I initially thought that this was a comedy as the first few scenes seemed rather light-hearted. But things change rather remarkably later on. On another note, it should be mentioned that silent films lasted a bit longer in Japan than most other industrialized nations and that this was one of the first pictures to utilize sound. Be that as it may, I thought that this was a pretty good movie and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
      7gavin6942

      Amazing Cinematography

      Ayako (Isuzu Yamada) becomes the mistress of her boss, Mr. Asai, so she can pay her father's debt, and prevent him from going to prison for embezzlement. She also sends money to her brother Hiroshi to pay his university tuition, but her father intercepts it.

      Mizoguchi considered the film his first serious effort as a director, and while I am not familiar with his earlier work, I have to say this is the kind of film that leaves a mark. Either Mizoguchi or his cinematographer had an excellent awareness of the camera -- the door closing to block the camera early on in the film -- years ahead of its time.

      The subject matter in general is impressive. I am not sure what the typical morality was in pre-war Japan, but to feature adultery and whatnot in the 1930s seems quite bold.

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      Related interests

      Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
      Comedy
      Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
      Drama

      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Quotes

        Junzo Murai: You're a woman... Being taken to the police station... Getting thrown into jail... You've done shameful things. You ungrateful child!

        Ayako Murai: How could you say that? I never expected that I'd be treated like this when I came home. This is ridiculous! I thought you would welcome me with open arms. If I'd have known this, I never would have come back.

      • Connections
        Featured in Century of Cinema: Nihon eiga no hyaku nen (1995)

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      FAQ12

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • January 31, 1979 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • Japan
      • Language
        • Japanese
      • Also known as
        • Naniwa Elegy
      • Production company
        • Daiichi Eiga
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        • 1h 30m(90 min)
      • Color
        • Black and White
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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