Customer Reviews

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I happened across this film years ago on the video shelves of a local library and checked it out on a whim. Engrossed from start to finish, I immediately fell in love with When a Woman Ascends the Stairs and declared it one of my absolute favorites. That status has not changed after multiple viewings.

In Mama-san, Hideko Takamine creates one of film's most memorable characters. Her facial expressions tell the whole story, her warmth, dreams, cynicism, disappointments, most of all her quiet, subtle desperation centering on wanting to do something with her life before it becomes too late(making her a typical Naruse heroine). Watch the final closeup of Takemine before the film fades to black and try not to be moved. Her performance is the film's greatest strength, but she is ably supported by an all star cast which includes Masayuki Mori, Tatsuya Nakadai and Reiko Dan. Naruse's direction is also a major asset, creating atmosphere via wonderful performances(already mentioned), a jazzy, downbeat soundtrack, several establishing shots of the Ginza which create a relentless feeling of urban alienation, a "dark" look which establishes a nighttime mood, all of these factors enhanced by the director's use of widescreen Tohoscope.

Naruse's film seems to be modeled after Hollywood melodramas and "women's pictures" of the 1950's, as many critics have pointed out, but it is also somewhat similar to the Fellini film Nights of Cabiria which was made a few years earlier. Both films are episodic, both deal with "working girls," although at different levels, both have a sympathetic heroine even though she works in an industry that isn't respected by society at large, both heroines are tricked, or almost tricked, into false marriages, the music scores for both movies are similar, quirky, inspired by American music but with touches distinct for each composer, and finally, and most importantly, both films end with devastating closeups of the heroines' faces backed by musical crescendos, creating two of the most moving endings in film history, and two of the most indelible images. There is even a Ginza bar called Cabiria seen in the background when Mama and her manager visit the establishment they are thinking about buying. Perhaps this was intended as an homage?

At any rate, my only complaint about the video is that the picture quality is imperfect. I recently saw this film on the big screen as part of a Mikio Naruse retrospective playing at a Columbus arts center, and it appeared to have been remastered, the picture quality was pristine, making the film even more lovely and the viewing experience that much more fulfilling. Hopefully this restored print will inspire a DVD release of this little known classic so that its reputation, and impact, will become deservedly more widespread. In the meantime, though, I hope the video only format doesn't deter any potential viewers, because this is truly one of the all-time greats, not only of Japanese cinema but of cinema in general.

Like fellow film director Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse often portrayed the plight of women in Japanese society. This movie is about a senior hostess at a Ginza bar who tries to gracefully fend off the unwanted advances of customers. Everyone seems to want her for one reason or another; either they want her body, or in the case of her family, they want her money. Her life is one emotional betrayal after another. But through it all, she tries to maintain her dignity. And she manages to persevere. In the movie, there is the recurring image of her ascending the stairs to the bar where she works. "After it gets dark," she says, "I have to climb the stairs, and that's what I hate. But once I'm up, I can take whatever happens."

This is a movie about courage and the triumph of the human spirit amid adversity. Hideko Takamine, who plays the bar hostess, is one of Japan's greatest actresses. Sadly, only a handful of her movies have made it to America. She gives one of her best performances in this film.

one of mikio naruse's last masterpieces was 1960's "when a woman ascends the stairs" - it is also one of only two of the great director's films currently available in any video format in the u.s. but wow, what an introduction it is! this seemingly modest film about a woman on the edge of a precipice, winding her way through dismal back alleys and cheap bars in search of an out is one of the great character pieces in world cinema. crisply shot in black and white widescreen (which is admirably reproduced in this edition), this beautifully directed and acted film is an absolute must for anyone interested in movies. the sadness lies in the knowledge that this kind of film is not made anymore; there's no one talented enough to pull it off nearly as well. class and subtlety are a rare commodity and this film has just the right amount of both. it's perfect, one of the greatest films of all time, one i come back to again and again.

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs is not one of Mikio Naruse's best films, but it is quite good enough to show anyone unfamiliar with his work what a sensitive and uncompromising filmmaker he is. Just as Ozu devoted most of his work to the disintegration of the Japanese family, Naruse concentrated almost invariably on the lives of women in Japanese society. His films are often sad and his 'endings' are somewhat less than uplifting, but when you watch, in When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, his heroine (played beautifully by Hideko Takamine) betrayed by the men she turns to for help and/or salvation, it becomes clear that Naruse was a great director - not as versatile as Mizoguchi, but unjustly neglected.

A late masterpiece in the paradoxical career of the Japanese master Mikio Naruse: Naruse was the first Japanese filmmaker to have a film released in the US (WIFE BE LIKE A ROSE, in the 1930s), only to then slip into obscurity outside of Japan during subsequent decades. Since his death in the late 60s, there have been a handful of revivals in interest: retrospectives screened in the 1980s and early 90s; and the VHS releases of three films - MOTHER (OKASAN), LATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS and this film, also in the early 90s. With the publiciation of Donald Richie's ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF JAPANESE CINEMA, another resurgence in interest has begun to build, and DVD releases are appearing in Japan and several European countries; this hopefully portends at least a few US DVD releases.

In the meantime, there is this magnificent film. I don't know of any of Naruse's non-Japanese cinematic influences, but LATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS vaguely reminded me of Italian neo-realism in its' settings; here I was reminded of Douglas Sirk and Billy Wilder. Naruse is often compared to Yasujiro Ozu, and there are similarities, but in this film at least, Naruse seems to gravitate towards an angrier point of view, a sensibility that hovers between the lines, behind women (and men) locked into a much-abused service sector (of a variety), and generally at the mercy of most everyone. The protagonists here struggle to find ways of succeeding in a very harsh world; a world of surface glitter, and isolation underneath. As with LATE CHRYSANTHEMUMS, Naruse crafts a film suffused with bitter ironies.

And also a film of great visual power - the World Artists VHS edition isn't up to Criterion standards, but even in this presentation, some stunning widescreen cinematography and rich, velvety B&W compositions make every moment of this complex melodrama a treat.

The cast is loaded with recognizable faces from classic Japanese cinema; the stars Hideko Takamine and Tatsuya Nakadai give memorable performances. Anyone whose familiarity with Nakadai is based only on his performances in HARAKIRI, SWORD OF DOOM, REBELLION or SWORD OF THE BEAST would do well to seek this out; the versatility seen here cements his reputation as one of the finest actors in Japanese cinema.

A film that is - in every way - worth an effort to see.

-David Alston

When I first purchased this film on VHS some years ago, it was because of actor Tatsuya Nakadai. I was not at all familiar with the works of the late director Mikio Naruse. Since viewing "When A Woman Ascends The Stairs" I have only seen one other film by this late director, and that film was "Late Chrysanthemums," which I also have on VHS too. I am looking forward to purchasing both of these films on DVD some time. And this film in particular when it is released on DVD. My review refers to the VHS version. When I first viewed this film, I thought it was decent, but not particularly great. Not having seen the film in a number of years; I recently watched it again; and really liked it a lot. Strange how time can sometimes allow us to see things differently.

I find many films I once liked are not appealing anymore, while others seem to pull me in. This is a film that one grows to appreciate. Or maybe it's the mood one is in? Anyway, I believe this is a very good film. Much better than I initially thought. The films main protagonist Keiko Yashiro (Hideko Takamine) was excellent in the film. The film centers around the life of Keiko; also known as mama. Her daily life is recounted in the films narrative as a bar woman in the ginza bar district, who is struggling to maintain some sort of dignity in her life. She is a widow, and fast approaching thirty-years of age. With a daughter, a brother she is trying to help keep out of jail, and a nephew who needs money for an operation, her life is financially difficult. This is a slow paced film, and patience is required. But the film is well worth the watch and purchase.

Meanwhile, Keiko must deal with the patrons of the bar. The bar is frequented by businessmen and other clients who want more than just drinks served to them: her body for one. Despite all the hardships that Keiko is going through, we see that she emerges as a strong personality, and refuses to be defeated. She has an inner strength which carries her forward. This film reminded me quite a bit of the late great director Kenji Mizoguchi's films. Only here you find a woman who is strong, and not relying on men, per se. The films narrative follows the plight of a woman and a bar which is frequented by men who see her as an object. And yet her pride will not allow her to debase herself, even if it means financial advancement.

Another one of the bar's characters is Junko Inchihashi (Reiko Dan) and she gives a very good supporting role in the film. And then there is the character of Kenichi Komatsu, (Tatsuya Nakadai) who portrays the managing bartender in the film. But at the heart of the film we have Keiko, and her desire to change her lot in life. And although Keiko does not hate her job, she does not entirely enjoy it either. Director Naruse shows the viewer that in this male dominated society, the roles of women are limited and that life is one vicious cycle of disappointment: Yet Keiko carries on as she tries to rise above lifes challenges. For Keiko, life is more than just ascending the stairs of the bar where she works. Life is difficult, but there is always a tomorrow. This film is highly recommended.

Just as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujiro Ozu seemed destined to be recognized as the troika of classic Japanese cinematic masters, here comes the work of a filmmaker who has been under the radar to Westerners all these years, Mikio Naruse. The Criterion Collection is giving Naruse his due with the release of his provocatively titled 1960 melodrama, a fine piece of work that strikes me as a cross between Ozu's elliptical narrative style and deliberate pacing and Douglas Sirk's sense of Baroque-level dramatic sensibilities.

Sharply written by Ryuzo Kikushima, the net result is a clear-eyed yet humanistic glimpse into the after-hours bar scene in post-WWII Tokyo's Ginza district with the primary focus on Keiko, a hostess to whom colleagues refer affectionately as "Mama". Her existence is a daily struggle as she depends on her companion-seeking businessman clients to finance the bar in which she works, and concurrently, confronts the fear of aging in a highly competitive field, all the while standing on her high moral ground to avoid the unsavory pitfalls of others in her profession. Although she is barely in her thirties, she feels pressured to make an imminent choice between opening her own bar and getting married for security. Even more than Ozu, arguably the most sensitive of Japan's filmmaking elite, Naruse shows with uncompromising clarity how women are consigned to their subservient roles in a male-dominated society.

As she keeps up appearances as part of not only her job but also as her emotional suit of armor, Keiko faces the temptations of four men in particular, all far from ideal, but each promises some aspect of hope for her to get out of her desultory existence. Meanwhile, she faces the machinations of younger hostesses out to get their share of the money and fulfill their dreams of security. Naruse takes his time in setting up the various character situations in the first half, which makes the film feel a little more plodding than it should be, but the pace and dramatic tension pick up in the second half when Keiko's desperation becomes more palpable. It's fortunate that Naruse cast his longtime leading lady Hideko Takamine in the highly complex role of Keiko, as her multi-layered performance is a model of emotional precision. A beautiful actress with a look of often haunting passivity, she subtly provides the emotional tether among all the vividly rendered characters in her orbit.

The four men are skillfully portrayed by actors familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of classic Japanese cinema - Ganjiro Nakamura (Floating Weeds) as the aged executive in need of a mistress; Daisuke Katô (Yojimbo) as the cherubic bachelor who is not what he appears; Tatsuya Nakadai (Harakiri, Ran) as the younger bartender/manager who worships Keiko from a distance; and Masayuki Mori (Rashomon, Ugetsu) as the married lover unable to leave his family. As intriguing counterpoints to Keiko, Reiko Dan plays the flirtatious Junko with Western-style abandon, and Keiko Awaji makes the ambitious Yuri a tragic, pitiable figure. The film is complemented by a cool, jazz-piano score by Toshirô Mayuzumi, absolutely the right touch for the slightly tawdry urban setting. As with several Criterion releases of classic Japanese cinema (like Ozu's Tokyo Story and Nakahira's Crazed Fruit), film scholar Donald Richie provides rich commentary on an alternate track in the 2007 DVD. There is also an illuminating 2005 interview with Nakadai on Naruse and the filmmaking process, as well as the original theatrical trailer. Four insightful essays, including a glowing tribute to Naruse by Takamine, are included in a 38-page booklet accompanying the DVD package.

1960 marks a changing point in the world of Japanese film. The previous year Oshima Nagisa made his filmic debut with his stark Street of Love and Hope which eventually led to a number of young directors, including the likes of Shinoda Masahiro and Imamura Shohei, breaking the ranks of assistant directors to eventually form a group, although Oshima dislikes the label, of New Wave directors. These films tended to be quite edgy and their levels of sexuality and violence surpassed earlier films. However, of course, the majority of Japanese film directors were not part of the New Wave and older luminaries such as Kurosawa, Kobayashi and Ozu continued to make films, albeit at a slower pace than before and, as in the case of Kurosawa, would come more to depend on foreign producers to make their films. While the films of Ozu have garnered great praise in the West since the release of Tokyo Story in 1953 and Kurosawa's with Rashomon in 1950, the filmic work of Naruse Mikio has received less attention. However, he stands firm as one of Japan's most important directors.

Directing some eighty-nine films during his long career which stretched over four decades, many of Naruse's films shared themes with the great director Mizoguchi Kenji: women and poverty. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs focuses on Keiko, a beautiful but aging, she's in her thirties, widow turned bar hostess who acts as the main draw within the bars she works because of her classic beauty and her poised, refines manner. A widow for five years, Keiko, unlike many of the other bar hostesses, keeps her patrons at a distance and has taken one as her lover. However, because of money issues and a mother and older brother who depend on her, Keiko feels more at the mercy of the men who surround her. Wanting to break away from the life of a hostess and open her own bar, Keiko thinks of ways she can get the one million yen so she can be independent. However, is her desire anything more than a pipe dream?

During the late 1950s and the early 1960s, Japan's economy was quickly on the upswing. However, many individuals such as the large Korean minority and the destitute were left behind and the gap between the haves and the have-nots continued to grow. With is careful eye and attention to detail, Naruse carefully puts on film the struggles of these individuals and the degradations they have to suffer in the cutthroat world of metal and concrete in which they life. A fine film, hopefully more of Naruse's films will be released to Western audiences in the near future.

WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS is the first film of Japanese director Mikio Naruse to enter the prestigious Criterion collection. Naruse was often considered by western critics as the equal, in terms of quality, of Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujiro Ozu. After having seen and read the bonus presented with this DVD edition, I'm prone to agree with them.

The movie is the portrait of a woman, Keiko Yashiro, called Mama by her peers. Mama is over 30 years old, still beautiful and admired by the customers of the bars she supervises. But Keiko belongs to a Japanese society and world which are disappearing in the late fifties. She still wears classy kimonos while her younger colleagues wear western clothes, she doesn't sleep with the customers because she hid in her husband's funeraire a letter promising that she will always be faithful to him. Keiko must now choose between two options : to marry a wealthy customer or to buy a bar of her own.

One of the last scenes of WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS shows a desperate and drunk Keiko who is openly flirting with a customer in front of everybody. I'm sure you will feel in your very heart, just like I did, the embarrassment of her friends witnessing the so unusual behaviour of Mama.

A DVD zone pretty geisha.

When a woman Ascends the Stairs is about a bar hostess named Keiko, played by Hideko Takamine, who wants to move up or out of her life style. She starts out as a manger of a bar but fails to make ends meet so has to get a job as a simple bar hostess. Entertaining businessmen for a living is not something she wishes to do the rest of her life - but to get out of it she either has to get more money to buy her OWN bar or get married. Full of grace, pride, smart and independent she refuses to take the easy ways out yet the hard ways of escape are, well, hard and we watch her as she runs in circles.
In the end we respect her for her strong will but also feel sadness for the knowledge that she is doomed, like a puppy trapped in a well, which will drown no matter how much it tries to climb out. Emotional, depressing, enlightening and an important film this is a must for ANY film library.
Extras include a audio commentary by Donald Richie, a new interview with Tatsuya Nakadai plus a great booklet full of essays, one of which is by Hideko Takamine herself!