Rent Mikio Naruse Collection: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)
4.0 of 5 from 81 ratings
1h 46min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The widowed Keiko (Hideko Takamine) manages a hostess bar in Tokyo's Ginza district. She remains faithful to the memory of her husband and supports her mother, brother and his son. The smiling mask she wears allows her to make a living, but the pressure to sell herself is unrelenting. Her business is failing and she must decide whether to raise the money to buy her own bar or marry one of her admiring affluent patrons. A superb, heart-rending film.
- Actors:
- Hideko Takamine, Tatsuya Nakadai, Masayuki Mori, Reiko Dan, Daisuke Katô, Ganjirô Nakamura, Eitarô Ozawa, Keiko Awaji, Jun Tatara, Yû Fujiki, Masao Oda, Ken Mitsuda, Chikako Hosokawa, Sadako Sawamura
- Directors:
- Mikio Naruse
- Writers:
- Ryûzô Kikushima
- Aka:
- Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki
- Studio:
- BFI Video
- Genres:
- Drama
- Countries:
- Japan
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Reviews (1) of Mikio Naruse Collection: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Small quiet study - Mikio Naruse Collection: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs review by CW
This was my first Mikio Naruse movie. I liked that the DVD includes an interview describing his films, approach, actors, style, content. I would say that he is a woman’s director focusing on lives of ordinary people. This story is about a woman who works at a bar catering to businessmen. They come for drinks and attention and are treated as special guests. The women are instructed to be charming and attentive. They flirt, listen and charm. They sell their souls each night. Our heroine supports herself, her mother, ungrateful brother and his crippled son. Hers is a joyous life. The beauty of the film is just watching the characters and their small lives. Great contrast to other Japanese directors. I still prefer Kurosawa but hope to see more of Naruse’s studies of women.
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