The Life of Oharu (1952)
- Starring:
- Kinuyo Tanaka, Toshiro Mifune, (more)
- Director(s):
- Kenji Mizoguchi
Synopsis of The Life of Oharu
Life of Oharu features Kinuyo Tanaka in the title role. Oharu is a middle-aged prostitute in 17th century Japan. As she prays before a statue of Buddha, Oharu reviews her past. Her road to degradation began when, as a teenager, she disgraced her family by falling in love with a samurai (Toshiro Mifune). Oharu became the mistress of a prince, who cast her off after she bore his son. She was then sold into prostitution by her father, and thus began a catch-as-catch-can existence alternating between brief happiness with those she genuinely loved and servitude to those she despised. A potential happy ending, reuniting her with her royal son, is dashed by the much-maligned Oharu herself, who opts for the life of a beggar. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, a lifelong advocate of equitable treatment for Japanese women, Life of Oharu was adapted from a novel by Saikaku Ibara. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Complete Cast of The Life of Oharu
- Kinuyo Tanaka - Oharu
- Ichiro Sugai - Shonzaemon, Oharu's Father
- Chieko Higashiyama - Myokai
- Masao Mishima - Taisaburo Hishiya
- Noriko Sengoku - Sakurai
- Takashi Shimura - Old Man
- Eijiro Yanagi - Forger
- Akira Oizumi - Fumikichi, Sasaya's Friend
- Toranosuke Ogawa - Yataemon Isobei
- Toshiro Mifune - Katsunosuke
- Yuriko Hamada - Otsubone Yoshioka
- Daisuke Kato - Tasaburo Hishiya
- Kikue Mori - Myokai, the Old Nun
- Masao Shimizu - Kikuno Koji
- Eitaro Shindo - Kohei Sasaya
- Jukichi Uno - Yakichi Senya
- Kyoko Kusajima - Sodegaki
- Sadako Sawamura - Owasa
- Director(s):
- Kenji Mizoguchi
- Writer(s):
- Kenji Mizoguchi, Yoshikata Yoda
- Producer(s):
- Hideo Koi, Kenji Mizoguchi
- 1952 - Venice International Film Festival - International Prize
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