Mizoguchi: Women of the Night (1948)
Yoru no Onnatachi (Women of the Night), made by Mizoguchi in 1948: the master is, like in all his other movies depicting his times, unsentimental while strongly on the side of the victims. The victims are, as in all his films, the women, forced to prostitution by the casual monstrosity of men.
Mizoguchi's movies from the thirties kept a weird joyful tone (as if a whole universe of jerks was continously partying in greed and stupidity). This time there is no more room for joyfulness: actually that joy was sarcasm, and in Yoru no Onnatachi Mizoguchi gave up that sarcasm. It is, this time, the view of an anatomo-pathologist.
And the struggle of these women to go back to dignity, as they realize from time to time their misery: this is pathetic in the most tragic and noble way. It is here a great message: hope will be always, waiting patiently for you, and trying to save you, again, and again, regardless how miserable you are. Neo-Realism at its best.
(Kenji Mizoguchi)
Mizoguchi's movies from the thirties kept a weird joyful tone (as if a whole universe of jerks was continously partying in greed and stupidity). This time there is no more room for joyfulness: actually that joy was sarcasm, and in Yoru no Onnatachi Mizoguchi gave up that sarcasm. It is, this time, the view of an anatomo-pathologist.
And the struggle of these women to go back to dignity, as they realize from time to time their misery: this is pathetic in the most tragic and noble way. It is here a great message: hope will be always, waiting patiently for you, and trying to save you, again, and again, regardless how miserable you are. Neo-Realism at its best.
(Kenji Mizoguchi)
Labels: Mizoguchi
posted by Pierre Radulescu at
9:41 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home