Miss Oyu / Oyû-sama (1951)

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Miss Oyu / Oyû-sama (1951)

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…Oyû-sama’s striking visual composition is apparent right at the very start of the film, in the extended tracking sequence in which the two ill-fated sisters make their way through a sun-dappled grove towards the man who will seal their fate. Contrast the optimism and ebullience of this sequence with the intensely melancholic closing shot in which Shinnosuke allows himself to be swallowed up by a field of reeds, his illusions shattered, his hopes vanquished, forever separated from the two women he has loved and lost. The social constraints that impinge so heavily on Oyû and Oshizu are continually alluded to by their positioning on the screen. Often as not, they are framed by partitions, walls or doorways, a constant reminder that whilst men are free to walk where they will, women are always confined and must submit to the social codes if they are to retain their honour and position in society. These stark symbols of repression, hardened by the sublime delicacy of Mizoguchi’s mise-en-scène, drive home the cruel perversity of any society that places honour before happiness. Oyû-sama is a haunting evocation of the tragedy of forbidden love that transcends time and culture, a film of rare humanity and poignancy.

James Travers, Films de France

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Miss Oyu / Oyû-sama (1951)

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Miss Oyu / Oyû-sama (1951)

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Miss Oyu / Oyû-sama (1951)

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