THE LIFE OF OHARU (1952)
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
Starring: Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Benkei Shiganoya
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 133mins

Rating:

The Life of Oharu is an epic drama charting the extraordinarily unfortunate fate bestowed upon the daughter of an esteemed Lord. Falling in love with a lower ranking servant Oharu finds both herself and her parents banished from the city by the courts. Forced to make a meagre living by any means possible and with the love of her life executed for his actions, Oharu finds herself drifting inexorably down a path of heartbreak and prostitution.

Based upon the novel "The Woman Who Loved Love" by Saikaku Ihara, The Life of Oharu is a beautiful but deeply depressing experience. Hugely engrossing, Mizoguchi's film is a sophisticated tale of female oppression set in the 17th Century attacking the divide of sexes and class prevalent at the time yet also directing a subversive glance at the inequalities of 1950's Japan.

Finding that every silver-lining will inevitably crack to reveal further hardships, Oharu's journey is something of an endurance to follow. However, Mizoguchi's direction strikes a fine balance between the abject cruelty of its protagonist whose only crime was to fall in love, with brief interludes of levity that work to soften the blow of this fiercely important tale. With such a bold series of events and such prevalent social themes, the idea of providing humour amidst Oharu's tragic fate is a risky move, yet it pays off, thanks largely to a number of set-pieces that are both charming and effective.

Of particular note is a sequence in which the Lord Matsudaira's messenger is sent to Kyo with the task of finding a suitable concubine to bear a child as heir to the clan. While subconsciously we are aware that this plot device will do little good to our protagonist, the laundry list of physical attributes that Matsudaira demands lends itself to a comedic sequence in which the local "talent" are lined up to be inspected by the quick footed and sharp tongued messenger.

Another example of this levity is found in the most unexpected of places, during Oharu's time in Shimabara (a red-light district), another set-piece involving Eijiro Yanagi's forger takes on a black humoured stance as very serious actions and consequences are played with the slightest of touches marking a welcome break from the oppressive doom that hangs over Oharu's fate. These moments are fleeting however, and rightly so - the meat of the story lays within Oharu's downward spiral and it is also where Mizoguchi shows his mastery of such captivating sprawling stories.

A fan of long takes, Mizoguchi excels here with some wonderful compositions. Keeping the camera moving we are treated to some stunning tracking shots that are beautifully framed, not purely in an aesthetic sense but also a means of driving home the narrative with intensely atmospheric lighting and framing to accentuate Kinuyo Tanaka's emotionally wrought performance.

More time however, could have been spent on realising the romance between Oharu and the lower ranking servant (played by Toshiro Mifune apparently?). Granted, in the big scheme of things it may only be a fleeting, brief section of her life. But nevertheless, it remains the catalyst that thrusts the story into motion and in turn is responsible for the upheaval in her life. As such the melodramatic nature of their relationship, introduced, established and concluded almost within the space of a single exposition heavy scene, is a little hard to swallow and is an unfortunate distraction so early on in the story.

Overall, Oharu is a superb yet tragic film, while the constant knockdowns of its protagonist might make for rough viewing, Mizoguchi's deft handling of the material imbues the film with enough heart, levity and stunning cinematography to make the experience harrowing yet ultimately rewarding.

Stunning.