is a 1958 Japanese

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Mikio Naruse was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967. Naruse is known for imbuing his films with a bleak and pessimistic outlook. He made primarily shomin-geki ("common people drama") films with female protagonists, ...

. It is based on a novel by Saisei Murō.

Plot

Kyoko, daughter of successful writer Hirayama, rejects several marriage prospects before taking Ryokichi, owner of a small used book store, as her husband. A few years into the marriage, Kyoko has to start selling parts of the household, as the manuscripts of Ryokichi, who is ambitious to become a novelist, keep getting returned by publishers. Yagihara, a magazine editor and acquaintance of Hirayama, outspokenly tells Ryokichi that his work lacks originality and an elaborate style. Kyoko suggests that Ryokichi shows his manuscripts to her father, but he declines, arguing that it is Hirayama's overpowering presence which hinders him in his writing. Ryokichi's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic due to his drinking, and the couple's financial and emotional situation worsens. Kyoko repeatedly leaves her home to stay at her father's place, but insists that a divorce is the final resort. When Kyoko again returns to Ryokichi, the mother asks Hirayama if they shouldn't split up. Hirayama replies, only when Kyoko comes home exhausted and can't go on anymore, the time to split up has come.

Cast

Sō Yamamura was a Japanese actor and film director. He was also known by the name Satoshi Yamamura, while his actual birth name is Koga Hirosada. Yamamura graduated from University of Tokyo. In 1942, Yamamura and Isao Yamagata formed the ''Bunkaza Theatre ...

as Heishiro Hirayama *

Kyōko Kagawa is a Japanese actress. During her 70 years spanning career, she has worked with directors like Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse, appearing in films such as ''Tokyo Story'', '' Sansho the Bailiff'', ''The Bad Sleep W ...

as Kyoko *

Isao Kimura , also known as Kō Kimura, was a Japanese actor. He entered the Haiyūza theatre troupe in 1946. He appeared in several films directed by Akira Kurosawa, including ''Stray Dog'' (1949) as Yusa the criminal, and ''Seven Samurai'' (1954) as Kats ...

as Ryokichi, Kyoko's husband *

Shizue Natsukawa was a Japanese actress. Career Natsukawa was born in Tokyo and first appeared on stage at age seven. She joined the Nikkatsu studio in 1927 and came to fame through such films as ''Kantsubaki'' and Kenji Mizoguchi's ''Tokyo March''. She married ...

as Rieko, Hirayama's wife * Hiroshi Tachikawa as Heinosuke, Hirayama's son * Chieko Nakakita as Sumiko Urushiyama * Mina Mitsui as Risako Yamamoto *

Nobuo Nakamura was a Japanese actor, who made notable appearances in the films of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps his most famous roles in the West were those of the callous deputy mayor in Kurosawa's ''Ikiru'' (1952), and the h ...

as Toshio Yagihara *

Keiju Kobayashi was a Japanese actor who appeared in 253 films in a career spanning 67 years. Born in Gunma Prefecture, he began acting at the Nikkatsu studio after dropping out of Nihon University and made his film debut in 1942. In 1956 he moved to Toho film ...

as Tayama *

Daisuke Katō was a Japanese actor. He appeared in over 200 films, including Akira Kurosawa's ''Seven Samurai'', ''Rashomon'', ''Yojimbo'', and ''Ikiru''. He also worked repeatedly for noted directors such as Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse and Kenji Mizoguchi. ...

as Suga, the poet * Natsuko Kahara as Enko Murai *

Sadako Sawamura was a Japanese actress. She appeared in more than 140 films between 1935 and 1985. Her brothers were the actors Daisuke Katō and Kunitarō Sawamura. Her autobiography, ''My Asakusa'', has been translated into English. Sawamura married fellow Ja ...

as Mrs. Hatoi *

Kenji Sahara Kenji Sahara (佐原健二 ''Sahara Kenji'') (born 14 May 1932) is a Japanese actor. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His birth name is Masayoshi Kato (加藤正好 ''Katō Masayoshi''). Initially he used the name Tadashi Ishihara befo ...

as Mrs. Hatoi's son * Hiroshi Hayashi as Dr. Sato *

Minoru Chiaki was a Japanese actor who appeared in eleven of Akira Kurosawa's films, including ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''Throne of Blood'', and ''The Hidden Fortress''. He was also one of Kon Ichikawa's favorite actors. He attended, but did not grad ...

as Saburo Yoshida * Teruko Mita as Sachiko Yoshida *

Yoshio Tsuchiya was a Japanese actor who appeared in such films as Toshio Matsumoto's surreal ''Bara No Soretsu'' (a.k.a. ''Funeral Parade of Roses'') and Akira Kurosawa's '' Seven Samurai'' (as the firebrand farmer Rikichi) and ''Red Beard'', and Kihachi Okam ...

as Ishima *

Yū Fujiki , born , was a Japanese film and television actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1954 to 2005. Career Born in Tokyo, Fujiki graduated from Doshisha University and joined the Toho studio in 1954. He began by playing straight male leads, ...

as Okada

Reception

In his 2005 review for ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'', Keith Uhlich called ''Anzukko'' "a loving portrait of a woman tragically caught between her wants and her responsibilities, fated to tread a potentially never-ending path between the trials of her marriage and the refuge of her past."

References

External links

* {{Mikio Naruse 1958 films 1958 drama films Japanese drama films Japanese black-and-white films Films based on Japanese novels Films directed by Mikio Naruse Toho films 1950s Japanese films