Tsuma (1953)

"It's only human to pretend nothing is wrong"

Director Naruse Mikio dissected a lifeless marriage without really digging into the reasons for the spouses' lack of fulfillment. Both lamented internally that they had no idea what their spouse was thinking and neither had the courage to ask. They were living in a Groundhog Day where every day was exactly the same and neither knew how to break out of the cycle of misery.

Toichi is a salaryman who never moves up and doesn't seem particularly interested in further success. In order to make ends meet, he and his wife rent out rooms in their house to an array of eclectic tenants. His wife, Mihoko, also sews/knits to earn extra money. While Toichi doesn't care whether the tenants pay their rent on time Mihoko is more practical. They bring in enough money for the basics but don't seem to ever leave their small living area. Married for ten years, they have no children and apparently no disposable money for attending movies, plays, concerts, or even going to restaurants. Mihoko's world resides in their cramped living quarters. Only the gossip from the artist who lives across the hall and the feuding couple upstairs brings any entertainment into her life. For Toichi and Mihoko, they have nothing to divert themselves or share together, they have only each other and neither has made the effort to reach the other emotionally.

Toichi is approached by Sagara, a young secretary in his office, to attend an art gallery. They have coffee and spend time together before she returns to Osaka to live with her family. On a business trip to Osaka with his boss, Toichi seeks out Sagara only to find she has a young son. They end up spending the night at an inn. Sagara is not only drawn to Toichi's looks but also the security he could bring. Whether Toichi was really in love with her or in love with the idea of a different life lived was difficult to tell. Mohoko was aware he was seeing Sagara and puts her foot down. Even his father-in-law visits him to discover his intentions. Whether Toichi would divorce his wife or simply have Sagara as a mistress was never revealed.

The film did show women either working or seeking a way to make a living on their own. One of the tenants supported her unemployed husband and mother-in-law by working as a bar hostess. Sagara intended to open a dress shop with a friend partly funded by an uncle. Mohoko could not fathom a way to be financially independent and at her age she would be unlikely to find a new mate. While much was brought up about women becoming independent by opening a shop, that move requires capital and a lot of luck. Perhaps that type of endeavor was too risky for Mohoko who would be left without a safety net.

Toichi held the power in the relationship. Men still dominated the workforce at the time and Toichi could always find a younger wife. Female characters constantly rhapsodized what a fine catch he was. It was also brought up that Mohoko wasn't a very good cook, didn't apply her makeup correctly, was old-fashioned, and too cranky. Her husband must be involved with someone else because she wasn't a good enough wife. Toichi worked, ate, and went to bed, scarcely acknowledging his wife's existence and leaving much of the job of being a landlord up to her. Despite the fact that he was in the wrong having an affair, with Mohoko clearly in distress, at no time did he ever show a modicum of sympathy or concern for her. In matters of the heart and in financial matters, he rarely displayed any valor. And while much was made about male pride, Mohoko asked what about her female pride and why did everyone want her to apologize and turn a blind eye to Toichi's affair.

Naruse didn't seem to take sides in this cynical view of marriage though attitudes toward Mohoko certainly reflected the times. Of the three marriages shown, one ended in divorce, and another one in suicide. Toichi cheerfully imagined that they could both have fresh starts with a divorce. Mohoko felt trapped, knowing her husband no longer loved her and that she no longer trusted him, but unable to move on alone with no financial security. Even with divorce becoming more acceptable there were societal norms that she was unwilling to step outside of which would relegate her to a loveless marriage.

By the close of the film, Toichi and Mohoko were inhabiting a silent world, going through the motions, miserable but unable to find any hope for a better life. " Wife" ended where it began, only in a worse version of a day repeating itself with the people involved still unaware and unable to remedy their unhappy situation. Though there were moments of comedy supplied by supporting characters, the film was a dark, bleak look at married life with few sympathetic characters.

5/8/23

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