The Downfall of Osen

Osen sacrifices herself for the man she loves.

Synopsis: Near the precincts of Kanda Myojin, there is a group of people engaged in a shady business called antique art appraisal. The head of the business is Kumazawa, and young daughter Osen is being preyed upon by them. SOKICHI, a young boy who is being fed by Kumazawa, can’t take it anymore and tries to escape from Kumazawa’s gang with Osen…

This is a film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, and it is richly emotional in its depiction of a woman who degrades herself for the sake of the man she loves. There is one scene that is deeply engraved in my heart. The scene is about Osen, who sells her body to earn money for Sokichi, who is studying hard. Osen is caught by the police for prostitution and is taken away, and Sokichi chases after her. She says to him, “I will give you my soul,” and throws a folded paper crane that she carries in the chest of her kimono with her mouth (Osen has her hands tied behind her back). For Osen, the symbol of freedom was the folded paper crane and her heart. By throwing the folded paper crane, the symbol of herself, the audience is able to understand the consequences of Osen’s actions. This scene of Osen throwing…