Arakure

This film had a one night showing in New York as a retrospective of the great Tatsuya Nakadai but it is Hideko Takamine's film. One of the great things about watching her is that her characters are so varied. She can play innocent and submissive, serious and comic. In this film, she plays assertive. This film from the great Naruse has her stretching her acting muscles,playing Oshima, a woman who goes through situations in which men treat her wrong. Somehow, in a sometimes fun way, she emerges intact and stronger. The film begins in 1912 and thats what the gist is of her character: Most Japanese (well. all) women were not assertive like this at the time. So, the film is a little innovative. Mr. Nakadai's role is relatively small, but memorable (at the screening three women whistled when he came on the screen. He was a heartthrob). The reason this film doesn't get a ten is because it drags in a few spots, mostly before the middle. It has a better second hour, so from there it is a much more enjoyable film. Not available on DVD with subtitles, I was very happy to see it. If it ever does come out, I recommend it. Its fun, and Ms. Takamine is, as usual, great in her role.

Arakure(1957) or 'Untamed Woman' by Mikio Naruse is a story that was needed to be told and it couldn't have been made possible without the brilliance of 'Hideko Takamine'.

Naruse was known to make movies portraying the Hardships faced by Women in everyday life during Post ww2 and pre war Japan.

Unlike Another Master 'Kenji Mizoguchi' who also portrayed Strong and determined Women facing hardships of Patriarchal Society in his movies , Naruse's era was somewhat more modern.

In Arakure, Hideko Takamine's 'Oshima' is also a repressed woman under Society's norms but Unlike Naruse's other Women, she will not take it anymore and will even fight for her rights and respect.

Takamine who was always seen as an sweet and elegent lady in other Naruse's movies, shows all the depths of her brilliant acting skills in one of her best roles in this film.

Oshima is a girl that is being suppressed since her childhood and always seen more as an service maid than an human being, while regularly forced by other how she should dress, talk, act etc.

When she decides to Fight for her rights, she is called an rebel and asked to leave.

She struggles throughout the film with unsupportive men, sickness, poverty, mockery ; yet at the end she is able to work and own her own Tailor-shop by her own hardwork.

Hideko Takamine is fearless in her portrayal of Oshima and and incorporates her whole body to deliver a performance that will use her every movement to express her character; from stark dialogue delivery, energetic performance, using just her eye movement to deliver a enormous depth to the scene.

It is one of her best roles that she portrayed, but is generally overlooked from her other great performances like in 'Yearning', 'Woman Ascends the Stairs', 'Twenty-Four Eyes', 'Floating Clouds' etc just to name a few ; because of the low reach and awareness of this brilliant movie.

A must watch for Any Naruse:s or Takamine's fan to know about the depths of both this brilliant director-actress duo.