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浪華悲歌 (Osaka Elegy)

Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Year: 1936
Run-time: 1 hr 11 min

- Here we see many of the same themes from Mizoguchi's earlier film The Water Magician, but this one feels much better paced, and shows how Mizoguchi (and Ozu, who's up next) quickly adapted to the standards of the talkie.  We have a brave, self-sacrificing woman being let down by the fecklessness of the men they rely on.  The ending, with the woman out on the street fending for herself, could be seen as tragic or freeing, depending on your mood.  It's a great film, full of the tension that comes with rapid modernization in the cities (also the theme of the next film).  This isn't yet peak Mizoguchi, but it's getting close.
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