Street of Shame
Follows five sex workers employed at a Japanese brothel while the nation debates the passage of an anti-prostitution law.
From the archive
For his final film, Mizoguchi brought a lifetime of experience to bear on the heartbreaking tale of a brothel full of women whose dreams are constantly being shattered by the socioeconomic realities surrounding them. Set in Tokyo’s Red Light District (the literal translation of the Japanese title), Street of Shame was so cutting, and its popularity so great, that when an antiprostitution law was passed in Japan just a few months after the film's release, some said it was a catalyst.
Why this is free to watch
Street of Shame (1956) is hosted by the Internet Archive as a public-domain or openly licensed work, which means its copyright has expired, lapsed, or was released by the rights holder. No signup, no payment and no advertising interrupts playback. Nitrate streams the file directly from the Archive and hosts no video itself.
- Director
- Kenji Mizoguchi
- Starring
- Machiko Kyō, Ayako Wakao, Michiyo Kogure, Aiko Mimasu, Kenji Sugawara, Yasuko Kawakami, Eitarō Shindō, Bontarō Miake
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