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Oichi no kata
Movie

Oichi no kata

1942 • Unknown

Woke Score
1.2
out of 10

Plot

Overall Series Review

Oichi no kata (1942) is a Japanese historical drama based on the novel "Mōmoku Monogatari" (A Blind Man's Tale) by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, one of Japan's most acclaimed pre-war novelists. The film is set during the violent Sengoku period and focuses on the life of Lady Oichi, the sister of the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga. The entire narrative is framed through the eyes of Yaichi, a blind masseur who serves Oichi and is allowed close proximity to her high-standing position. Yaichi recounts Oichi's tragic life, her political marriage to Asai Nagamasa, and the conflicts that lead to their eventual shared fate. The film centers on themes of devotion, beauty, and tragedy within the constraints of historical duty and fate. Produced during World War II, it naturally aligns with the aesthetic and nationalist classicism popular in that period of Japanese cinema, emphasizing historical Japanese beauty and sacrifice. It is a work of traditional historical and aesthetic drama with no observable modern ideological content.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The film depicts a historical narrative from the Sengoku period, focusing entirely on Japanese historical figures, with no elements of race-swapping or forced diversity. Characters are judged by their status, political actions, and personal sense of honor and duty, adhering to a pre-modern meritocracy/hierarchy framework.

Oikophobia1/10

The film is an embrace of classical Japanese history and aesthetics, based on an author (Tanizaki) who was explicitly promoting a 'return to classicism' and the unique beauty of Japanese culture during this era. It treats the national history, ancestors, and institutions (like the powerful samurai families) with deep respect, centering on their dramatic and tragic sacrifices.

Feminism2/10

Lady Oichi is the central figure and a powerful, though tragic, woman whose fate drives the narrative. However, the female character is not a 'Girl Boss' but a strong woman defined by her beauty, political marriage, and ultimate decision to die with her husband, fulfilling a traditional, complementary role to her husband's duty. The narrative's framework is one of male devotion, focusing on her traditional feminine power and sacrifice, not the emasculation of men.

LGBTQ+1/10

As a 1942 historical drama focusing on politically arranged marriage and family duty in the Sengoku era, the narrative adheres to a normative structure. The nuclear family and traditional male-female pairing is the standard, and the film does not feature or focus on alternative sexualities or gender ideology.

Anti-Theism1/10

The conflict is secular and political, revolving around the Sengoku wars and the bonds of family and duty. The film, which celebrates Japanese cultural aesthetics, integrates traditional Japanese spiritual concepts and historical context without any hostility toward faith or organized religion. Morality is framed by the objective high law of duty and fate within the historical setting.