The Life of Oharu

The film opens on Oharu (Kinuyo Tanaka), a 50-year-old struggling prostitute, taking shelter in a temple where she looks at statues of Arhats whose faces remind her of events from her life. As a young woman, Oharu ran away with Katsunosuke (Toshiro Mifune), a page who courted her and they fell into a forbidden love. Their relationship ends in tragedy, but Oharu attempts to escape the stigma of having been forced into prostitution by her father, who was consumed by desire for money and social status. Throughout her life, Oharu faces numerous struggles as she is sold to Lord Matsudaira, marries twice, and is eventually imprisoned within the compounds of the palace, where she ends up begging as a wandering nun.