Die Schwestern von Gion (1936)

Die Schwestern von Gion: Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. With Isuzu Yamada, Yôko Umemura, Benkei Shiganoya, Eitarô Shindô. Two geisha sisters lead a hard life in the Gion district of Kyoto. After one of them feels obliged to support a bankrupt businessman, the other sister sets up various schemes to get rid of him.

“Iu0026#39;m surprised by the fact that Mizoguchi was doing this kind of filmmaking and a strong criticism on geishau0026#39;s lives in those years already. It must have been really innovative at the time and, for the same reason, it might probably not have been appreciated by most of the audience. I find it ironic because now it has aged considerably, that it is also hard to appreciate by todayu0026#39;s standards. In order to fully comprehend its content, one would have to watch it with an open mind and submerge into its time. Also, the print quality might not be good, which is yet another obstacle that may keep viewers from appreciating the film as well. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of a high quality print, and it is also a great privilege to behold Mizoguchiu0026#39;s filmmaking techniques; I for one consider them to be of great importance in cinema history.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe story concerns two geisha sisters who live in a neighborhood known as Gion, in Kyoto. They are very different from each other; one side is influenced by a more modernized mindset, whilst the other is still rooted in traditional manners. This existing contrast will slowly unravel as the film goes on.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTechnically, the film is outstanding for its time. We have that riveting tracking shot at the beginning of the film that thoroughly advances through the house of the patron of one of our two protagonists. Subsequently, youu0026#39;ll find yourself immersed in the many sequence shots the film is divided in.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf youu0026#39;re fond of Japanese cinema, you should definitely watch this forgotten gem.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMy score: 8.8/10”