{"id":4391,"date":"2007-10-25T18:02:45","date_gmt":"2007-10-26T01:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4391"},"modified":"2020-12-11T17:40:02","modified_gmt":"2020-12-12T00:40:02","slug":"when-a-woman-ascends-the-stairs-1960","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4391","title":{"rendered":"When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[<strong>Note:<\/strong> The following review is of a non-Peary title; click <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=4388\">here<\/a> to read more.]<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Bars in the daytime are like women without make-up.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster-202x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-57119\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster-202x300.png 202w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster-690x1024.png 690w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster-86x128.png 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster-182x270.png 182w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/When-a-Woman-Ascends-Poster.png 757w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA widowed bar hostess (Hideko Takamine) struggling to survive in post-war Japan must decide whether to remarry or open an establishment of her own.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Character Studies<\/li>\n<li>Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues<\/li>\n<li>Japanese Films<\/li>\n<li>Survival<\/li>\n<li>Widows and Widowers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nOnly two of little-known Japanese director <a href=\"http:\/\/www.answers.com\/main\/ntquery?s=mikio+naruse&#038;gwp=8&#038;x=0&#038;y=0\">Mikio Naruse&#8217;s<\/a> films (<em>Late Chrysanthemums<\/em> [1954] and <em>Floating Clouds<\/em> [1955]) are listed in Peary&#8217;s book, but this later Naruse movie remains must-see viewing as well. Widowed Keiko (Takamine) &#8212; approaching thirty (!) &#8212; is stuck in a dead-end job with little chance to move &#8220;up&#8221;. While in the midst of seriously considering opening her own bar, she witnesses her &#8220;rival&#8221; trying the same thing and failing miserably &#8212; and, though a married male suitor is willing to loan Keiko money in return for &#8220;favors&#8221;, Keiko refuses to compromise herself. Having made a vow of lifelong loyalty to her dead husband, she&#8217;s remained celibate since his death, and is unable to act upon her desire for romance (or sex) without guilt; when she finally does give in to men&#8217;s solicitations (twice), she&#8217;s badly burnt both times. Despite its decidedly grim storyline, however, <em>When a Woman&#8230;<\/em> remains eminently watchable, thanks in large part to Takamine&#8217;s sensitive portrayal as Keiko: she manages to exude both integrity and vulnerability at once, making us believe she&#8217;ll be alright despite the odds against her. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> <em>When a Woman&#8230;<\/em> evokes Mizoguchi&#8217;s post-war work &#8212; particularly <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1733\"><em>A Geisha<\/em><\/a> (1953) and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1904\"><em>Street of Shame<\/em><\/a> (1955) &#8212; but with a decidedly &#8220;jazzy&#8221; twist, thanks to Toshiro Mayuzumi&#8217;s xylophone-heavy score and Satoshi Chuko&#8217;s &#8220;modern&#8221; interiors.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hideko Takamine as Keiko<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-keiko.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-keiko.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4393\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Masayuki Mori as Keiko&#8217;s married love interest<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-mori.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-mori.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4395\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Tatsuya Nakadai as Kenichi Komatsu<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-kenichi.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-kenichi.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4396\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Daisuke Kato as Keiko&#8217;s roly-poly suitor<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-kato.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-kato.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4394\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Masao Tamai&#8217;s gorgeous b&#038;w cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4392\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A devastating look at female survival in a patriarchal society<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-patriarchal.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/waw-patriarchal.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"853\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4397\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Toshiro Mayuzumi&#8217;s jazzy score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This unsung masterpiece should definitely be seen by all film fanatics. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0054144\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2231stair.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.criterion.com\/current\/posts\/471-when-a-woman-ascends-the-stairs-they-endure\">Criterion Collection Essay<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.slantmagazine.com\/film\/film_review.asp?ID=1901\">Slant Magazine Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/when-a-woman-ascends-the-stairs\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Note: The following review is of a non-Peary title; click here to read more.] &#8220;Bars in the daytime are like women without make-up.&#8221; Synopsis: A widowed bar hostess (Hideko Takamine) struggling to survive in post-war Japan must decide whether to remarry or open an establishment of her own. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Character Studies Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues Japanese Films Survival Widows and Widowers Review: Only two of little-known Japanese director Mikio Naruse&#8217;s films (Late Chrysanthemums [1954] and Floating&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4391\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-missing-title-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4391"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57122,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391\/revisions\/57122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}