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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

1960 · Movie · Not Rated · 111 min · ★ 8.0 · 95% critics

Drama

A widowed hostess in Tokyo’s Ginza tries to keep up a confident front while working nights and dealing with constant financial pressure. As she navigates demanding family obligations and the expectations of her job, she reflects on the exhausting cycle of appearances, money, and time passing.

IMDb

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Details
Original title
女が階段を上る時
Years
1960
Release date
1960-01-15
Language
Japanese
Rated
Not Rated
Runtime
111 min
Critic score
95/100
TMDB rating
8.0/10 (127 votes)
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a grounded, character-driven drama about work, money, and social expectations; Not for you if you prefer action-forward stories like Yojimbo or High and Low.

Pros: intimate character focus; emotional realism; tense social pressures | Cons: downbeat mood; slow-paced drama; limited action

Themes

  • alcohol
  • widow
  • money
  • tokyo, japan
  • japanese woman
  • hostess
  • 1950s
  • bar
  • job
  • shōwa era (1926-89)
  • potential suitors
  • bar manager
  • +1 more

Cast & crew

Directed by Mikio Naruse