赤線地帯 (aka Street Of Shame) (1956)

As the Japanese legislature considers a ban on prostitution, the lives of the prostitutes who work in a Yoshiwara brothel plays out: One prostitute (Michiyo Kogure) works to support her sick husband and their baby. A widow (Aiko Mimasu) works to provide her adult son with an education. A crafty prostitute (Ayako Wakao) not only lends money to her fellow prostitutes charging them interest but she also cons men out of money to fatten her bank account. An aging prostitute (Hiroko Machida) grasps at an offer of marriage as her last hope with disastrous results. A narcissistic prostitute (Machiko Kyo) thinks only of herself as she gets deeper into debt. Based on the novel SUSAKI NO ONNA by Yoshiko Shibaki and directed by Kenji Mizoguchi in his final film (he died five months after the film's release). Unlike many films, prostitution isn't glamorized here but Mizoguchi isn't a moralist preaching down to his audience. He's more interested in the socio-economic realities that force women into prostitution. It's a disturbing but ultimately a heartbreaking movie and the film's final shot is traumatic. A fine score by Toshiro Mayuzumi gives the B&W film some color. With Kumeko Urabe and Yasuko Kawakami.