Restraint versus Matcha

[setsuled]

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Catholicism is pitted against Japanese tea ceremony in 1962's Love Under the Crucifix (お吟さま, "Lady Ogin"). Shot in colour and set in the 16th century, this was the last film to be directed by Tanaka Kinuyo. I imagine the cost of the film against a low box office was likely a contributing factor in this. Tanaka has enjoyed more fame as an actress, particularly for her work with Mizoguchi Kenji. Mizoguchi was not supportive of his star's directorial career but while Love Under the Crucifix lacks the depth of thought and profundity of Mizoguchi's films, it's a decent romantic melodrama.

The story revolves around Ogin (Arima Ineko), the daughter of a real life tea ceremony master named Sen no Rikyu, a favourite and confidant of the rulers Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He's played by kabuki star Nakamura Ganjiro II in the film who imbues the character with serenity and gentleness to contrast with a Christianity portrayed as oppressive and cruel.

Like any good heroine of women's pulp romantic fiction, everyone loves Ogin, particularly the man who converted her to Christianity, Ukon Takayama, played by Nakadai Tatsuya. When she pleads with him to become her lover despite the fact that he's married, he visibly restrains his violent emotions and tells her how physical love is a sin. In a later scene, Sen no Rikyu talks about the natural attraction between men and women as something that should be acknowledged and acted on, in congruence with the honesty of tea ceremony. I'm not sure the contrast between unyielding restraint in Catholicism versus a free love philosophy of tea ceremony is quite an honest depiction, to put it mildly.

Tanaka directs like an actress, like so many actors and actresses turned director--She uses lots and lots of closeups. Despite the period setting involving major figures in Japanese history, the story feels very small because very little is given emotional depth outside of Ogin's romantic predicament. We see vassals and farmers and merchants with a lot of props and costumes but all their dialogue is stiff exposition explaining the historical context or ruminating on the motives around Ogin and the men in her life.

The cinematography's a bit bland--everything is lit like a department store. The performances are really good, though, particularly from Nakadai and Nakamura.

Love Under the Crucifix is available on The Criterion Channel this month as part of a collection remembering Nakadai Tatsuya.