Nyonin aishû

The film title Nyonin Aishu means the sadness of women and this summarizes this story of a "conservative and indecisive" Japanese woman (played by Irie Takako) who marries for security rather than to the man she loves.

This is of the same theme of Naruse's later masterpiece Meshi. Both films are about estranged housewives with the former more conventional and the latter (Mrs Okamoto) more subtle, more suitable for a changed Japanese society after the second world war. Hara Setsuko is also more powerful actress than Irie Takako though both serves well as two dutiful wives in a pre and post Word War II traditional Japanese family that win much of our pity. Ken Uehara also played a more realistic husband that could win some of our men's sympathy, if we men deserve any.

Together they serves a nice couplet of Naruse in his portrayal of sadness of modern married women.

Takako Irie gives up her life as a shopgirl to marry into a wealthy family, and soon discovers that she is little more than a pretty servant. Her husband tries to find out what is wrong, but she is not sure herself; she is not even sure if she is happy or unhappy since she describes herself as a "conservative and indecisive woman." She is, however, observant, and she sees her sister-in-law leave her ill-regarded husband because he does not measure up to her new family's standards.

It's a woman's movie on a theme that director Mikio Naruse would return to many times, but the lead actress brings a silent, stubborn watchfulness to the role that makes it very telling. Takako Irie would have a long and fruitful career in movies, extending from the 1920s for many decades. She may best be known for her roles in two of Kurosawa's pictures, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL and SANJURO.