Okoto and Sasuke(Shunkinsho: Okoto to Sasuke)

The meek servant of a beautiful but imperious blind musician who allows him alone an emotional connection grows increasingly attached in his devotion until it is beyond all reason. A characteristic tale of masochistic obsession set in the early Meiji period, Tanizaki Junichiro’s A Portrait of Shunkin inspired numerous adaptations over the years by such directors as Ito Daisuke and Kinugasa Teinosuke, while attracting actresses like Kyo Machiko and Yamaguchi Momoe to play the lead role. Noted for his shomin-geki, Shimazu Yasujiro’s inaugural adaptation successfully treats the period material here as a melodrama highlighted by Tanaka Kinuyo’s star turn and an electrifying koto/shamisen soundtrack.

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