Life Of Oharu

Kenji Mizoguchi's sumptuously shot drama is available here for the first time in decades, and although restoration work has not been able to fully repair a print to which time has not been kind, it remains visually beguiling. Accompanying it are a commentary and featurettes, with Dudley Andrew's overview a great introduction for newcomers (though not to be watched first). The short documentary on star Kinuyo Tanaka's journey to the US adds an interesting and rarely considered angle, connecting it with the political context of its time and reinforcing its relevance both as a critique of contemporary Japanese attitudes to women and as a reflection on the position of women more generally.