As Irmãs de Gion

"Sisters of Gion" is a Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It apparently must be very well thought of, as it's part of a set of Mizoguchi films in a DVD set from the artsy Criterion Collection. While I could see the artistry of the cinematography, I wasn't super-impressed by the story. It left me a bit flat.

When the film begins, it looks a bit like a Yasujirô Ozu film because the camera in set at a level about that of a person sitting on the floor. And, like Ozu, the camera lens does not move back or forth.--it's a stationary box. But, unlike Ozu, while the cameraman does not move the camera, it does move on a track--making for an incredibly interesting opening shot. In fact, the film is full of interesting shots--with unusual angles, composition and depth. It's almost like the camera is a tiny one that is peeking into rooms--and it's very nice--probably the nicest looking Japanese cinematography from this era that I have seen.

Now the story of "Sisters of Gion" ("Gion No Shimai") is not particularly enjoyable--mostly because the folks in it aren't particularly likable and the story is only mildly interesting--except, perhaps, to someone wanting insight into the role of women in 1930s Japan. This aspect of the film is unusual--how one woman embraces power and her sister embraces conventionality and kindness. It's obvious the film was not meant as a feel-good film but a sad portait of the lives of women in the lower classes.

A man has just lost his business and moves in with the geisha he used to sponsor. You might have felt sorry for him, but in the process he left his family and seemed very self-involved. This geisha he goes to is a very nice and dutiful woman, as she is under no obligation to take him in but she does. However, her younger sister, also a geisha, is rather conniving and VERY practical. She will get a wealthy sponsor one way or another. This, ultimately, leads to a rather interesting relationship with Mr. Kimura--but you'll have to see that for yourself. I'd say that the acting, camera-work and direction were good. But I just didn't care a lot for the characters or their problems--though the story was darkly compelling and provocative.

I'm surprised by the fact that Mizoguchi was doing this kind of filmmaking and a strong criticism on geisha's lives in those years already. It must have been really innovative at the time and, for the same reason, it might probably not have been appreciated by most of the audience. I find it ironic because now it has aged considerably, that it is also hard to appreciate by today's standards. In order to fully comprehend its content, one would have to watch it with an open mind and submerge into its time. Also, the print quality might not be good, which is yet another obstacle that may keep viewers from appreciating the film as well. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of a high quality print, and it is also a great privilege to behold Mizoguchi's filmmaking techniques; I for one consider them to be of great importance in cinema history.

The story concerns two geisha sisters who live in a neighborhood known as Gion, in Kyoto. They are very different from each other; one side is influenced by a more modernized mindset, whilst the other is still rooted in traditional manners. This existing contrast will slowly unravel as the film goes on.

Technically, the film is outstanding for its time. We have that riveting tracking shot at the beginning of the film that thoroughly advances through the house of the patron of one of our two protagonists. Subsequently, you'll find yourself immersed in the many sequence shots the film is divided in.

If you're fond of Japanese cinema, you should definitely watch this forgotten gem.

My score: 8.8/10

The characters in Sisters of Gion are trapped, but like many women in a Japan of that era, which was... well, for a while up until 1936 and beyond. Particularly that of the Geisha, whose lives would have to revolve around men who would want them to "do things" for them; not simply sexual, though there was that, but just to take care of them, and buy things for them, etc. So in this story, Mizoguchi has a character, Omocha (Isuzu Yamada) who looks at her lot and life and doesn't like it, and tries to tell her much more submissive sister Umekichi the same. So she spends most of this story swindling a guy with a kimono mostly at the expense of a lower-rung guy who is staying with them, Furusawa, who lost his business. Not so much cause she's a bad person (she isn't) but just as the guy and who he's with kind of deserve it.

The story moves along at a fairly good pace, especially considering how short it is at 69 minutes (though according to IMDb the version available through the Eclipse DVD series is the shortened cut, a few times it does show), and it's pretty good... not great, mind you, but good. Some, or I should say most, of the dialog is a little too on-the-nose about the points it wants to make, even near the end when Mizoguchi really gains momentum with his story and the male-female dynamics of this society. And yet by the end it is powerful and moving, in some part because of how strongly he directs the film; those shots that kind of take deep focus looking down an alleyway that is kind of narrow, closing in on the characters, or how long he stays on a shot (he was all about the long takes too), almost like there's no escape for these girls.

So, do come for the feminism on display, which could be seen as overwrought or dated but only because it's 1936 and for its time is powerful - and stay for some elegant direction, some wonderful acting (watch the scene where Omocha has the guy over who is there on official matters, kind of to scold him for how she treated his employee, but then softens up when she serves Sake), and a couple of moments of good music, however sparse. 7.5/10

This movie, about two geisha sisters who lead a hard life in the Gion district of Kyoto, is a good drama movie!

I personally do not have much to say about it. The movie is not amazing or incredible for my part, but it has some funny moments where the main plot is the most compelling element. It feels slow at times, but fortunately, it is quite short to be a feature film, and it is also nicely shot and the actors do good. I am glad I took it a visit because I had a good time!

Despite not being a masterpiece, this movie is a good drama with humor and a strong plot. Solid acting and visuals make it worth a watch.

Umekichi, a geisha in the Gion district of Kyoto, feels obliged to help her lover Furusawa when he asks to stay with her after becoming bankrupt and leaving his wife. However her younger sister Omocha tells her she is wasting her time and money on a loser.

Here we have another film by Mizogucki looking at "fallen women", much like "Street of Shame" twenty years later, and to some degree "Osaka Elegy". But we also have a tale of the old and the new -- looking to the West and also sticking with tradition. This is especially interesting given the radical shift in Japanese culture after World War II.

I have not seen the remake and thus cannot compare them, but how do you top the work of Mizoguchi? You simply cannot.