Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka
浪花の恋の物語
The adopted son of an Osaka courier falls in love with a prostitute and, discovering that she is about to be purchased by a client, steals money from his employer to redeem her. Hunted criminals, the two young lovers take flight to Yamato, but, as in Chikamatsu's other domestic tragedies of love and duty (known as sewamono), they must be pursued and their passion destroyed by death. Favourite Uchida themes, such as the indenturing of a prostitute, and his characteristic emphasis on performance and theatrical artifice re-emerge here; but the daring device of having Chikamatsu appear as a character - not unlike having Shakespeare interpolated into a film adaptation of one of his plays - is just one of many surprises this remarkable film holds. “Extraordinary” (Donald Richie).
Production Countries
Production Companies
Cast
Eitarō Shindō
Kinnosuke Nakamura
as Chubei Kameya
Tsuyako Okajima
Ineko Arima
as Umegawa
Keiko Yukishiro
Kinuyo Tanaka
as Myokan
Koji Arima
Minoru Chiaki
Chiezo Kataoka
as Monzaemon Chikamatsu
Sumiko Hidaka
Chieko Naniwa
as Oen
Harue Akagi
Ryōsuke Kagawa
Masao Oda
Sonosuke Sawamura
Hiromi Hanazono
as Otoku
Kodayu Ichikawa
Eijirō Tōno
