Discover great cinema and the connections that made it possible.
JAPAN · 1960
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Synopsis
Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.
Cinema Atlas Connection
Naruse’s WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS (1960) is extraordinary. A woman, a bar madam in the Ginza district of Tokyo, tries to make her own way in the world, against a system that wants her to continue to be dependent on men. She’s beautiful, she’s fragile, she’s so determined, and she fails every single time. It’s devastating and beautiful. I’ve seen it many times, and it moves me every single time. It's a completely unsentimental film.
Explore the full connection →
See all connections for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs →
More from Mikio Naruse
Japan · Japanese Golden Age
Films with Similar Themes
