Phoenix (1947)

"I hate telling lies"

Kinoshita Keisuke’s Phoenix showed how a young war widow rose from the ashes of her life much as the country she lived in was attempting to do. Tanaka Kinuyo gave a touching performance of a woman reflecting back on the love of her life as her son reaches his fourth birthday.

Aihara Sayoko busies herself as the Yasaka household joyfully prepares for her son’s birthday. Her brother-in-law takes her aside to see if she will be comfortable when he marries soon. He fears seeing a blissful newlywed couple might cause her pain. She assures him that she is happy and his happiness will only bring her more. Sayoko then reflects on her relationship with his brother and the trials they met in order to get married.

Honestly, not much happened in this film of lost love. But what did happen was expertly done. The film revealed how Sayoko and Shinichi’s relationship developed in flashback. Kinoshita brought the lovers to life with a deft hand. There was some melodrama but it was not overwrought. Though she was 38 at the time Tanaka played a young woman maturing even as her love did for Yasaka Shinichi. This film hinged on her delicate performance as Sayoko filled most frames. Sada Keiji, as the handsome Shinichi, was ever loyal to her and his country. Shinichi bucked the family tradition of the parents picking his bride, angering his father, all for love of Sayoko.

Shinichi’s enlistment and deployment loomed like a deadly shadow over the couple. The very real concern that Sayoko could become a young widow and “ruin” her life was palpable. For Sayoko, Shinichi’s love and adoration was her past, her present, and her uncertain future, worth any risk and capable of sustaining her for a lifetime. This brief love story was a breath of fresh air among many maudlin films from this time period. Well-acted, engaging, and beautifully shot, worth a try if you enjoy old films.

2 February 2026
Note: There were places with damaged audio and the film had some streaking to it.

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