Review of Sisters of the Gion (1936) by Keenan S — 30 Jul 2014

While Osaka Elegy is a flawed, but terrific peek into the early works of Kenji Mizoguchi, it's here, with Sisters Of The Gion, where we get to see where despite so early on his career, we see a work of utter greatness along with one of his more scathing critiques of society and how it treats women. Sisters Of The Gion may be a short film (69 minutes), but as a drama and as a hallmark in the history of Japanese cinema, it is indeed among the greatest in both said categories.

The story focuses on two geisha sisters: Umekichi, a traditional geisha who believes in respecting her questionable clientele, and Omocha, a strong-minded, modern geisha who abhors how men treat women in their profession and uses their weakness for the beauty of women to her advantage by taking her out to dinner, getting her nice clothes, etc.

Things change for the sisters when Umekichi's old patron who got her started as a geisha goes out of business and moves in with them, much to the annoyance of Omocha, who wants nothing to do with him. After she gets him to leave, she nabs a wealthy patron who funds her wants and needs, while also stringing along other patrons, including a clerk at a kimono shop who almost loses his job because of her, and even his own boss becomes a patron of hers after seeing her briefly.

However, Omocha's ways begin to catch up with her when her sister moves out after finding out she was responsible for her former patron leaving and moving in with him, the clerk at the kimono shop not only plans revenge against his boss, but her as well when he kidnaps her and throws her out of the car, severely injuring her.

The world of the two sisters, regardless of different methods of thinking, is crushed by the deception of men and their darker natures.

The story is really quite interesting, and manages to pack a great deal into a very short running time. Somehow, despite being on 69 minutes in length, the story manages to develop its characters very well and makes them feel alive and real, especially as they go through their harsh struggles and realities. It's a story that indeed will have the viewer emotionally-invested in everything that happens, especially with its thoughts on human nature. It's not just a women-centric film, but it has a lot to say about our desires, are darker natures, what we do to survive, and much more. It's really quite compelling and gives your brain a lot to feed on and process.

The acting, as expected in a Kenji Mizoguchi film, is top notch. Isuzu Yamada as Omocha is the one who really steals the show in this film as her character dares to break out of the mold of women in her profession and what she does to survive and give her lowly life pleasure from those who abuse and use her. The rest of the acting is also pretty stellar, but it's the superb performance by the lead actress that will have you glued to your seat.

Sisters Of The Gion is a masterpiece not only in Japanese cinema, but in the history of dramas. It's a film where despite a simple premise and a short running time, it accomplishes a great deal and has many things to say about society, along with a number of other themes. If you love a good Japanese film, this one is indeed worth seeing.