is a 1953 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

Shirō Toyoda was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed over 60 films during his career spanning 50 years. Career Born in Kyoto, Toyoda moved to Tokyo after finishing high school and studied scriptwriting under the pioneering film director ...

. The film is based on

Mori Ōgai Lieutenant-General , known by his pen name , was a Japanese Army Surgeon general officer, translator, novelist, poet and father of famed author Mari Mori. He obtained his medical license at a very young age and introduced translated German lan ...

's novel of the same name.

Hideko Takamine was a Japanese actress who began as a child actress and maintained her fame in a career that spanned 50 years. She is particularly known for her collaborations with directors Mikio Naruse and Keisuke Kinoshita, with ''Twenty-Four Eyes'' (1954) ...

stars as Otama, a young woman who becomes the mistress of a married man in order to support her aging father.

Plot

Otama is a young woman who has previously been married, though the man turned out to already have been married with a wife and child. Because of this Otama is considered a disgrace and finding a good match near impossible. Feeling pressure to support her father who is frail, aging, and works to support them both by selling candy, Otama agrees to have dinner with a widowed kimono merchant who has offered to keep Otama as his mistress. Unbeknown to her, Suezō, the man she has agreed to meet, is in fact a still married moneylender and the arrangement between them has been set up to settle some debts of the matchmaker. At a restaurant before she meets Suezō, Otama sees a handsome young student, Okada, who also notices her. Nevertheless the deal between Suezō and Otama goes forward and he installs her in a new home. Otama tries to be a good mistress, but she has little feeling for Suezō. Through her maid she quickly comes to learn that her master is a moneylender and that the women of the neighbourhood have little respect for her. Suezō also inadvertently reveals that he still has a wife, and the two women later meet and recognize each other in the street based on items of clothing Suezō has given each of them. Nevertheless Otama feels obligated to stay, knowing that there is no other way for her to support herself or her father. One day a snake attacks Otama's pet bird. Her maid calls for help, and Okada kills the snake and saves the bird. Otama follows Okada on his errands afterwards and sees him go to Suezō to obtain money before selling one of his textbooks, which she immediately buys back. Suezō discovers the book and becomes suspicious. He says he will be staying in another town overnight. Otama prepares a meal for Okada, intending to invite him in from his daily walk, but she finds that he is accompanied by a friend and she does not speak. Suezō returns unexpectedly, discovers the meal and tells her Okada is going away to Europe. She returns the book to the friend, who confirms the news. Otama becomes resigned to her situation, and the film closes with her watching wild geese flying over water.

Cast

as Otama *

Eizō Tanaka was an early Japanese film director, screenwriter, and actor. Life and career Tanaka initially trained as a stage actor in the shingeki movement under Kaoru Osanai, but eventually joined the Nikkatsu film studio in 1917. He debuted as a directo ...

as Zenkichi * Miki Odagiri as Oume * Machiko Hamaji * Eijirō Tono as Suezō *

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 ...

* Hiroshi Akutagawa as Okada *

Jukichi Uno (real name ; 27 September 1914 – 9 January 1988) was a Japanese actor. In 1950, he formed the with Osamu Takizawa and others. Personal life He is the father of musician Akira Terao. Filmography Honours *Medal with Purple Ribbon are m ...

as Kimura *

Kuniko Miyake was a Japanese actress. She appeared in nearly 200 films between 1934 and 1991. Career After graduating from Kuki High School, Miyake joined the Shochiku film studios in 1934 and made her film debut the same year with ''Yume no sasayaki''. She ...

* Chōko Iida

References

External links

* * 1953 films 1953 drama films Japanese black-and-white films 1950s Japanese-language films Japanese drama films 1950s Japanese films {{1950s-Japan-film-stub