The adopted son of an Osaka courier falls in love with a prostitute and, discovering that she is about to be purchased by a client, steals money from his employer to redeem her. Hunted criminals, the two young lovers take flight to Yamato, but, as in Chikamatsu's other domestic tragedies of love and duty (known as sewamono), they must be pursued and their passion destroyed by death. Favourite Uchida themes, such as the indenturing of a prostitute (cf. YOSHIWARA; A BLOODY SPEAR AT MT. FUJI), and his characteristic emphasis on performance and theatrical artifice re-emerge here; but the daring device of having Chikamatsu appear as a character - not unlike having Shakespeare interpolated into a film adaptation of one of his plays - is just one of many surprises this remarkable film holds. “Extraordinary” (Donald Richie).
Credits
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka Cast
| Name |
Character |
|
Kinnosuke Nakamura
He was 26, 64 years old when he died
|
as Chubei Kameya |
|
Hiromi Hanazono
She was 19, now 84 years old
|
as Otoku |
|
Kinuyo Tanaka
She was 48, 66 years old when she died
|
as Myokan |
|
Chiezō Kataoka
He was 56, 80 years old when he died
|
as Monzaemon Chikamatsu |
|
Ineko Arima
She was 27, now 92 years old
|
as Umegawa |
|
Eijirō Tōno
He was 52, 87 years old when he died
|
|
|
Eitarō Shindō
He was 59, 77 years old when he died
|
|
|
Minoru Chiaki
He was 42, 82 years old when he died
|
|
|
Masao Oda
He was 51, 65 years old when he died
|
|
|
Ryosuke Kagawa
He was 62, 90 years old when he died
|
|
|
Chieko Naniwa
She was 51, 66 years old when she died
|
as Oen |
|
Harue Akagi
She was 35, 94 years old when she died
|
as (uncredited) |
Chikamatsu's Love in Osaka Crew
