Overview
Umekichi, a geisha in the Gion district of Kyoto, feels obliged to help her lover Furusawa when he asks to stay with her after becoming bankrupt and leaving his wife. However her younger sister Omocha tells her she is wasting her time and money on a loser. She thinks that they should both find wealthy patrons to support them. Omocha therefore tries various schemes to get rid of Furusawa, and set themselves up with better patrons.
MovieMagicScore Overview
Auto-generatedDirected by Kenji Mizoguchi, this 1936 drama follows two geisha sisters in Kyoto's Gion district whose contrasting outlooks on love, money, and survival drive them apart. One feels bound by loyalty to a man who has lost everything, while the other pursues colder, more calculating strategies for getting ahead. With its unflinching look at the limited choices available to women in a transactional world, the film blends intimate character study with sharp social observation. Restrained, melancholic, and quietly critical, it rewards viewers drawn to classic Japanese cinema, period drama, and stories that probe gender, class, and the price of independence. MagicMovieScore: 7.1.
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Top Cast
Isuzu Yamada
O-mocha
Yōko Umemura
Umekichi
Benkei Shiganoya
Shimbei Furusawa
Eitarō Shindō
Kudo
Taizō Fukami
Kimura
Shizuko Takizawa
Ochiyo
Namiko Kawashima
Oemi Furusawa
Fumio Okura
Jurakudo
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Movie Info
Release Date
October 15, 1936
Runtime
1h 9m
Genres
Drama
Director