When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

It’s shocking how unknown Naruse is, and that (with such a long filmography) this is the only film yet released on DVD (at least R1). This is an exceptional modern melodrama, reminiscent of Mizoguchi and in some ways Antonioni in its examination of women’s place in contemporary society, the vacuous and disconnected quality in modern life, &c. Keiko is a complex character both driven and restricted by her place in society, chance misfortunes and opportunities, and her own values. Ultimately the film’s narrative is a spiraling one, as she makes attempt after attempt to move forward in a ‘career’ she’s bound to, to do the right thing for her family, and to remain true to herself despite being offered marriage proposals of varying levels of attractiveness; I was deeply engrossed in her life and began as hopeful as she herself did, but as each power play landed her in the same place, the truth about her life gradually became starkly evident.