Portrait of Madame Yuki 1950 Region Free DVD English Subtitles

**DISC ONLY**

Source: DVD with English Subtitles.

Title: Portrait of Madame Yuki (1950)

Genre: Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Yuki Shinano, a descendant of the once-powerful Shinano family, endures an unhappy marriage with her husband, Naoyuki, who treats her disdainfully and openly maintains an affair with his mistress, Ayako. Despite their mutual affection, Yuki and her childhood friend, Masaya, are too weak-willed to change their circumstances. In an attempt to gain autonomy, Yuki opens an inn in her residence, but Naoyuki appoints Ayako as the head of the business. Eventually, Yuki, pregnant and suspected of adultery through a scheme contrived by Naoyuki’s lawyer, Tateoka, drowns herself in the lake.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
• Writers:
  • Kazuo Funahashi
  • Yoshikata Yoda
• Producer: Kazuo Takimura
• Cast:
  • Michiyo Kogure as Yuki Shinano
  • Yoshiko Kuga as Hamako Abe
  • Ken Uehara as Masaya Kikunaka
  • Eijirō Yanagi as Naoyuki Shinano
  • Sō Yamamura as Tateoka

IMDb Link:
Portrait of Madame Yuki (1950)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Darren Carver-Balsiger – ★★★★☆
   “Portrait of Madame Yuki is not full of new themes for Mizoguchi, but he draws out his same ideas around helpless lives drifting towards further pain. It is mostly a film of interiors, and the darkness found within the walls of a house. It is a large, empty, and lonely place. Our titular lead is powerless and humiliated, stuck with an uncaring husband. She is submissive and essentially reduced to a concubine, her love replaced by the shallowest lust. She is stuck by social forces, limited divorce rights, and her own inability to be strong. She does form a close bond with her maid, but mostly she is without love. In the mist, she walks alone.”
2. Moresbi – ★★★★☆
   “‘Am I a coward?’ ‘Yuki fujin ezu’ aka ‘Portrait of Madame Yuki’, by master Mizoguchi, is a tough one to enjoy, IMO. The plot is, in a way, set to prove something and, IMO, it does so in a very extreme way. I can only guess this one is meant to be a stark indictment about the role of women and patriarchal supremacy that occurred at the time. The acting, regardless of the substance, is pretty good. Michiyo Kogure is hopelessly a ‘victim’ of herself and her ‘place’ (per se), Yoshiko Kuga has a smaller role than I expected and Ken Uehara only adds to all the ‘doomed’ ambiance that prevails throughout. Of course, there can only be one…”

Meta Description:
“Portrait of Madame Yuki” (1950) is a Japanese drama directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. The film explores the tragic life of Yuki Shinano, an aristocratic woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, highlighting themes of societal constraints and personal despair. Starring Michiyo Kogure, Yoshiko Kuga, and Ken Uehara.