When a Woman Ascends the Stars: Amazon.ca: Hideko Takamine, Tatsuya Nakadai, Masayuki Mori, Reiko Dan, Daisuke Kat�, Ganjir� Nakamura, Eitar� Ozawa, Keiko Awaji, Jun Tatara, Y� Fujiki, Masao Oda, Ken Mitsuda, Masao Tamai, Mikio Naruse, Ry�z� Kikushima: DVD

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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs might be Japanese filmmaker Mikio Naruse's finest hour--a delicate, devastating study of a woman, Keiko (played heartbreakingly by Hideko Takamine), who works as a bar hostess in Tokyo's very modern postwar Ginza district, who entertains businessmen after work. Sly, resourceful, but trapped, Keiko comes to embody the conflicts and struggles of a woman trying to establish her independence in a male-dominated society. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs shows the largely unsung yet widely beloved master Naruse at his most socially exacting and profoundly emotional.

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5 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Naruse, the 4th and often forgotten great Japanese director..., Feb 7 2008

By

M. B. Alcat "Curiosity killed the cat, but sa... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: When a Woman Ascends the Stars (DVD)

I love cinema, but I don't know nearly as much about it as I would like to. All the same, I like to learn, and I often listen to the advice of those that know more. That is how I ended up watching "When a woman ascends the stairs" (1959), by Mikio Naruse.

According to Ruben, a coworker who also happens to know a lot about cinema, Naruse (1905-1969) is, after Kurosawa, Mizoguchi and Ozu, "the 4th and often forgotten great Japanese director". Truth to be told, I hadn't even heard Naruse's name before Ruben told me that, but when he offered to lend me this dvd, I didn't hesitate. After all, I didn't have too much to lose, at most two hours of my time.

I am quite happy I seized the opportunity to watch this film. It is poignant, and far from fast-paced, but manages to tell a story in such a way that makes you care, and think. The main character is Keiko (Hideko Takamine), a virtuous widow that works as a hostess in Tokyo, supervising a bar and attracting customers thanks to her beauty and grace. Even though Keiko is still young, she realises that times goes by and she is getting old, something that brings her face to face with choices regarding her future. Should she marry, buy a bar of her own, or leave things the way they are? And does she really have any choice?

All in all, I think this is a movie well-worth seeing, that will please those that enjoy the kind of film that leads you to identify with the characters, even if you don't really have a lot in common with them. Naruse pays attention to details, and weaves an atmosphere that ends up making the illusion of cinema almost real. For all that, I find it easy to recommend "When a woman ascends the stairs"... Thanks, Ruben :)

Belen Alcat

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars an unheralded masterpiece, Dec 27 2000

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Kristopher Kincaid (Vietnam) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (VHS Tape)

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.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Maintaining dignity amid adversity, Jan 26 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (VHS Tape)

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.

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Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed
This movie is slow at best and is done at a junior high school drama level.How it ever got A GOOD review i'll never know. Read more

Published on Jan 9 2003 by wayne g hunter

4.0 out of 5 stars An Unjustly Neglected Master
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... Read more

Published on Jun 18 2000 by unhelpful