Yoshiwara enjô

This very mildly erotic tale of the lives of geishas in the early 1900s Japan seems to have been entirely forgotten now, which at first glance is odd, since the production values, period detail and acting are all excellent. I guess the story itself is the fault, in that it never really grips or ends up saying anything meaningful or memorable, and so the final product ends up little more than a tame and disappointing soap opera, though one photographed as beautifully as any lavish historical epic.

Top notch acting, impressive costumes, and some attention to historical details bring to life a period of declining splendor of the Yoshiwara district.

A young Yuko Natori brillantly plays the role of a countryside girl indentured into prostitution by her father slowly but surely learning, accepting, and finally proudly embracing her role as an Oiran, a high-ranking prostitute in Yoshiwara, in the late Meiji period.

The period depicted is quite uncommon, the topic handled is not for the whole family and the viewers unfamiliar with Yoshiwara may have a lot to digest.

There is little sugarcoating about the very rough life in the district and it's not an erotic movie (though there are a couple suggestive scenes, and quite some nudity). If you factor in the few violent shots it makes for a quite "heavy" piece, clearly not for everyone. Don't expect some happy ending or a consensual and moral message. People die, people live, there is no karma, good deeds are not specifically rewarded, bad deeds are not punished.

It makes for an "interesting" viewing, but "entertaining" or not will depend on the expectations of the viewers. It works better as an historical drama rather than a human one.

(Note there are no geishas featured in this movie, but full fledge prostitutes).