November 21, 2013
Street Without End
– Japan, 1934
Mikio Naruse’s final silent film Street Without End is a moving look at the transformative power of
fate and a particularly sharp critique of Japanese values. It is a further
testament to Naruse’s skills as both director and storyteller. With the film,
Naruse continues his examination of interesting and strong female characters. Previously
Naruse’s films confined themselves to just one or two of these characters;
here, he presents audiences with four of them – two from lower economic
backgrounds and two from the upper class, and it is truly amazing just how
richly developed each character is. The first two characters work as waitresses
in a restaurant frequented by its fair share of love-struck repeat customers, many
of whom stretch their necks to get fleeting glances of their favorite
waitresses and whose faces become showcases of joy when they see them up close.
We’ve all known places and people like this, and the film’s early scenes will
undoubtedly made some viewers recall certain cafés from their youth and
particular waiters or waitresses whom they hoped to get a glimpse of from afar.
The film’s primary character is Sugiko Shima (Setsuko
Shinobu), a young woman who seems to have everything going for her. She is an
optimistic woman who has a love for both life and the people in her life. She
seems to have accepted that while life can sometimes be a struggle, one can
still enjoy it by remaining positive and true to yourself. Towards the
beginning of the film, she is presented with two rather intriguing
possibilities: marriage or a career in movies. There is a slight implication
that she can’t have both of them. Her roommate and co-worker is Kesako (Chiyoko
Katori). She is also somewhat cheerful, yet she places too great of an
importance on money, and she is frustrated by the limitations that not being
wealthy has inflicted upon her. In one scene, she finds a small purse on the
ground and is visibly frustrated at not finding any money in it. However, we
also detect a hint of embarrassment in her for having had this reaction. It is
as if her true natural is wrestling with the part of her that wants security
and wealth regardless of the cost.
Sugiko’s life is permanently changed when she is hit by a
car while on her way to see her boyfriend, Machio Harado (Ichiro Yuki), and
likely accept his proposal of marriage. After she is released from the
hospital, she has a hard time getting in touch of him, and eventually she
learns that he has returned to his hometown and married a woman of his family’s
choosing. His actions are the result of a tragic misunderstanding. Sugiko also
learns that in the days following her accident, the agents that offered to make
her “the next big thing” turned their attention to Kesako, who jumped at the
opportunity for fame and fortune. It is not clear if they approached her or she
approached them. In a more formulaic film, Sugiko would hold a grudge against
her career-stealing friend, but Naruse doesn’t follow this time-honored
pattern. Instead, Sugiko simpy smiles and earnestly wishes her friend well in
her career without exhibiting even the slightest hint of malice or envy.
Fortunately for Sugiko, Hiroshi Yamanouchi
(KikaruYamanouchi), the man whose car struck her, has developed quite an
affection for her, and he is quite wealthy. The question is: Does she love him
back? Naruse would probably answer yes. If she does, however, it is a love that
she grows into and not one that comes right away. It is more likely that she
likes him a little and sees him as enabling her to help her brother fulfill his
dreams. In other words, she places other people’s needs over her own happiness.
This is one of the reasons Sugiko’s brother, played by Naruse regular Akio
Isono, implores her to “consider her feelings more.” After all, it is not just
Hiroshi that she would have to contend with if she married him. There is also
his mother and sister, who may not be as accepting or understanding as Hiroshi.
However, Sugiko brushes aside these concerns. “I trust in his love for me.” Unfortunately,
that trust proves to be misplaced.
It is through Sugiko and Hiroshi’s romance that the film
turns its attention to the classism and discrimination that existed – and
probably still exists to a certain extent – in Japan towards those who were not
born into wealth or prestige. We see the disapproving look of her mother-in-law
(Ayako Katsuragi) and witness her stinging remarks, many of which implore
Sugiko to act like someone from the
upper class. Harsher still is Hiroshi’s sister Takako (Nobuko Wakaba), who is
not above referencing Sugiko’s former job or making outrageous accusations of
infidelity. It is clear that the two of them have no intention of ever
accepting Sugiko as an equal member of the family. At the same time, Naruse
presents us with a parallel variation of this theme, this one involving Kesako
and a poor, eccentric artist that is in love with her. Accepting him would mean
accepting a life she fears, yet it might also mean finally finding true
contentment.
Unlike previous films, Naruse makes the environment the
characters are in a part of the story. First, Naruse begins his film with a series
of shots of buildings - some old and some new, some impressive and some
rundown. The impression is that they are all a part of the whole. He is
presenting his viewers with everyday life, for this is what we see on an
average street. Towards the end of the film, he returns to these images, and
they give the impression that externally nothing has really changed. Another
interesting technique can be seen in an early scene between Sugiko and her
boyfriend. In between their exchanges, Naruse cuts to images of operating
streetlights set against dark night views. The effect is powerful. Theirs is a
conversation being held in secret, away from the prying eyes of those who would
disapprove or seek to block them. In other words, they are occurring in a world
in which not everyone is completely free to make a decision, a world in which
love may be less important than name and class.
Street Without End
is a compelling film replete with fully-realized characters that are as
imperfect as the rest of us. The film suggests that we are all in a way
pursuing safety and prestige. For some, that prestige comes as a result of
having possessions, achieving fame, or maintaining your pedigree. For others,
it is through being able to do what you love. The film demonstrates that
pursuing something for the wrong reason can lead to disaster and unhappiness.
However, the film is not pessimistic. It suggests that one’s fate can be
reversed, providing you find the inner strength to walk away. And it shows that
it is possible to go back, while simultaneously acknowledging that what you go
back to will not be exactly what you left behind. Life progresses and changes,
even though the buildings and businesses on your street may remain the same.
(on DVD as part of Eclipse’s Silent
Naruse box set)
3 and a half stars
*Street Without End is
silent with English intertitles.
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