A peerless chronicler of the soul who specialized in supremely emotional, visually exquisite films about the circumstances of women in Japanese society, Kenji Mizoguchi had already been directing movies for decades when he made The Life of Oharu in 1952. This epic portrait of an inexorable fall from grace, starring the astounding Kinuyo Tanaka as an imperial lady-in-waiting who gradually descends to street prostitution, gained the director international attention and ushered in a new golden period for him.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Film Restoration | New high-definition digital restoration of the 1952 film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack. |
| Commentary | Introductory commentary by film scholar Dudley Andrew. |
| Audio Essay | Mizoguchi’s Art and the Demimonde, an illustrated audio essay featuring Dudley Andrew. |
| Documentary | Kinuyo Tanaka’s New Departure (2009), documenting the actor’s 1949 goodwill tour of the U.S. |
| Subtitles | New English subtitle translation for the deaf and hard of hearing. |
| Booklet | Includes a booklet with an essay by film scholar Gilberto Perez. |