Kinuyo Tanaka Film Series

Second Film in Kinuyo Tanaka Series:

Tale of Shunkin (1935): Yasujiro Shimazu. A superlative film adaptation of a novel by Junichiro Tanizaki, depicting the subtly sadomasochistic relationship between a haughty musician and her faithful servant. This romantic melodrama typifies the kind of program piece that Tanaka starred in during her heyday as the leading box-office star of the 1930s. Released by Shochiku, the film also represents the distinctive "look" associated with that studio in the years before WWII.