Sisters of the Gion (Gion no kyodai)

In the poorer part of Gion, Kyoto’s entertainment district, two sisters work as geishas and are dependent on their male patrons. Whilst Umekichi is committed to more conservative values and submits to the system, the educated Omocha presents herself as more modern, wears Western clothing and tries to counter the patriarchal structures with her own resourcefulness. Mizoguchi casts a cynical eye over gender and power relations in 1930s Japan and cements his status as one of the decade’s outstanding Japanese directors. He is already beginning to experiment with the directorial style that would become his trademark, a style he would later pursue even more consistently: long takes, gliding camera movements and a noticeable distance between the camera and the action, even – and especially – in moments of great emotional intensity. (dw)