Okuni et Gohei

"Okuni to Gohei" was one of the few period dramas that Naruse made and I think it's based on a kabuki play. Okuni is a widow of a rich samurai family. Her husband was murdered by her former lover Tomonojo (played by Naruse regular So Yamamura). So she, together with a family's servant, Gohei, start a desperate search for Tomonojo to get revenge.

As expected from Naruse, this is not a typical jidaigeki. Instead of action, Naruse explores the personalities of the three heroes and the relationship between Okuni and Gohei, as they struggle to choose between their feelings and the duty of revenge (a common Japanese theme). Naruse's direction is great as always and the jidaigeki setting and scenery reminded me of Mizoguchi's films of the same period, however the story and the character's reactions seemed pretty predictable. Overall, I wouldn't consider "Okuni to Gohei" on par with director's masterpieces of the 50s and their amazing character studies, but it is worth watching if you are a Naruse fan like me.