Story of a Prostitute

In 1965, Seijun Suzuki's "Story of a Prostitute" tells the tragic love story of Harumi, a young prostitute volunteering as a "comfort woman" on the Manchurian front during World War II, and her forbidden romance with Mikami, an officer who defies his duty-bound code to be with her. As Chinese guerrillas attack the outpost where she works, Harumi's world is turned upside down when Mikami is severely wounded and ultimately gives his life to restore his honor. This daring take on a popular novel by Taijiro Tamura challenges the military and fraternal codes of honor that governed Japanese soldiers' behavior during wartime, offering a searing critique of colonialism and misogyny in the process.