, also titled ''A Picture of Madame Yuki'', is a 1950 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- ...
directed by
Kenji Mizoguchi
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who directed about one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include ''The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), ''Ugets ...
.
Plot
Yuki Shinano, a descendant of the once powerful Shinano family, is living in an unhappy marriage with her husband Naoyuki. Although he treats her disdainfully and has a candid affair with his mistress Ayako, whom he even brings to Yuki's residence in
Atami
is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Atami is located in the far ea ...
, she is tied to him through sexual dependency. Yuki and
koto
Koto may refer to:
* Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group
* Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument
* Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana
* Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women
* K ...
teacher Masaya share a mutual affection since childhood, but are both too weak-willed to change the situation. In an attempt to gain autonomy, Yuki opens an inn in her residence, but Naoyuki makes Ayako the head of the business, only to find out later that he himself has been bought out by Ayako and his lawyer Tateoka. Yuki, pregnant from her husband but suspected of adultery through a scheme contrived by Tateoka, drowns herself in the lake.
Cast
*
Michiyo Kogure
(31 January 1918 – 13 June 1990) was a Japanese film actress. She appeared in nearly 200 films in a career which spanned 45 years, starring in works by Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, Mikio Naruse, and others. Film hi ...
as Yuki Shinano
*
Yoshiko Kuga
is a Japanese people, Japanese actress.
Biography and personal life
Kuga was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her father, , was a marquis and a member of the House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers.
In 1946, while still attending Gakushuin Junior High Sc ...
as Hamako Abe
*
Ken Uehara
was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1990. He starred in '' Entotsu no mieru basho'', which was entered in the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival. His son is the singer and actor Yūzō Kayama.
Sel ...
as Masaya Kikunaka
*
Eijirō Yanagi
(16 September 1895 – 24 April 1984) was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 160 films from 1940 to 1975.
Career
Starting out in shingeki theater, Yanagi moved to shinpa
(also rendered ''shimpa'') is a form of theater in Japan, ...
as Naoyuki Shinano
*
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 Tateoka
* Yuriko Hamada as Ayako
*
Kumeko Urabe
Kumeko Urabe ( ja, link=no, 浦辺粂子) (October 5, 1902 – October 26, 1989) was a Japanese movie actress, and one of the first in the country. Born Kimura Kume, she also adopted the stage names Kumeko Ichijo, Toyama Midori, Chidori Sh ...
as housekeeper
* Haruya Kato as Seitaro
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Kenji Mizoguchi
Japanese black-and-white films
1950 films
Films directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
Films scored by Fumio Hayasaka
Films with screenplays by Yoshikata Yoda
Films based on Japanese novels
Japanese drama films
1950 drama films
Films set in Atami
1950s Japanese films