When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
(Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki)
Screening on Film
Directed by Naruse Mikio.
With Takamine Hideko, Nakadai Tatsuya, Mori Masayuki.
Japan, 1960, 35mm, black & white, 111 min.
Japanese with English subtitles.
Print source: The Japan Foundation
With Takamine Hideko, Nakadai Tatsuya, Mori Masayuki.
Japan, 1960, 35mm, black & white, 111 min.
Japanese with English subtitles.
Print source: The Japan Foundation
From one bar to another, hostess Keiko (Takamine Hideko) seeks out patronage to support her family and fund her dream of having her own bar. Her mastery of flattery and affected coldness fall short as protection against men who corner her with bills, debts and other deceptive gestures disguised as care. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs remains one of Naruse's most renowned films, celebrated for Takamine's superbly controlled performance and for its black-and-white cinematography—which, with Mayuzumi Toshiro's jazz score and Takamine's voiceover narration, invokes a noir-adjacent sensibility. – Kelley Dong
Part of film series
Upcoming screenings from this program
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Live Musical AccompanimentScreening on Film15$$15 Special EventNew 35mm print
