Tribute to Kenji Mizoguchi 2017 / Waga koi wa moenu / Japan 1949
Inspired by the autobiography of Kageyama Hideko, a late 19th-century feminist pioneer, the picture follows a young woman who rebels against her parents and begins to work for a fledgling political party in Tokyo. There are scenes of astonishing violence but the film’s real power lies in its political analysis and fiery performances.
The US occupation army under General MacArthur imposed strict controls on Japanese cinema in the post-war years, and Mizoguchi was one of the directors who took advantage of the new "democratic" imperatives to make a series of angry films about the rights of women, all starring the magnificent Tanaka Kinuyo. My Love Has Been Burning is the best, inspired by the autobiography of Kageyama Hideko, a late 19th-century feminist pioneer. The film fictionalises her as Hirayama Eiko, a young woman who rebels against her parents and follows a male friend to Tokyo to work for a fledgling political party – only to discover that when it comes to women’s rights, sisters have to do it for themselves. There are scenes of astonishing violence (the crushing of the protest at the silk mill is based on a real incident) but the film’s real power lies in its political analysis and fiery performances.
Tony Rayns
84 min / Black & white, 35 mm
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
/ Screenplay Yoshikata Yoda, Kaneto Shindo
/ Dir. of Photography Kohei Sugiyama
/ Music Senji Ito
/ Art Director Dai Arakama, Hiroshi Mizutani, Junichi Osumi
/ Producer Hisao Itoya, Kiyoshi Shimazu
/ Production Shochiku, Kyoto
/ Cast Kinuyo Tanaka, Mitsuko Mito, Ichiro Sugai, Koreya Senda, Kuniko Miyabe
/ Sales Shochiku Co., Ltd.
/ Contact Kawakita Memorial Film Institute
Shochiku Co., Ltd.
4-1-1 Tsukiji, Togeki Bldg. 12th Floor, Chuo-Ku, 104 8422, Tokyo
Japan
Phone: +81 355 501 623
Fax: +81 355 501 654
E-mail: [email protected]
Kawakita Memorial Film Institute
18, Ichibancho, Chiyoda-Ku, 102-0082, Tokyo
Japan
Phone: +81 332 653 281
Fax: +81 332 653 276
E-mail: [email protected]
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