When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

I think I'll try and write a movie recommendation every day.

I first saw "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs" a few months ago. It was really late and I had a few drinks that night. I was too sad and indifferent to write or play videogames so I put it on thinking it wouldn't be very good but would entertain me long enough to wait for a phone call. It turned out to me one of my favorite films.



There's not really any other film like "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs", but its relatively easy to describe. It has the melodrama of Douglas Sirk films, but the majority of the film is as subtle as Ozu's. The story is about Mama, a legend to other hostesses in the ginza, as she gets older and is faced with two options for her future: she can marry or open a bar of her own. The problem is that she's uninterested in all of her prospects besides one who is mostly disinterested in her and the only way she can get the money to open a bar is by becoming the mistress of a wealthy client.

The film handles drinking differently than any other film I've seen, where its almost a given that by the end of every night Mama will go home drunk and moody. Even though it was made in 1959, the effects of alcohol are realistically portrayed and not played up for dramatic purposes. I know this is a really small detail, but its pretty cool.

I think I can recommend this movie to anyone. Its well acted and shot, the music and pacing are great and its totally unique. If you like Japanese movies at all, you should check it out.

ALSO, if you like it you should buy it to hopefully convince someone to put out other films of Naruse's out in America. At the moment, this is the only one you can find here on either dvd or vhs. A DAMN SHAME.