The simply titled Story Of A Prostitute is just that – the film follows a group of 'comfort women' (hookers employed by the Japanese military to service the soldiers) who are sent to Northern China during the height of operations during the Second World War where they will be responsible for taking care of the carnal needs of an entire battalion of men.

After the women arrive at the Japanese base of operations, the focus shifts over to a prostitute named Harumi (Yumiko Nagawa). It doesn't take long before the adjucant, Lt. Narita (Isao Tamagawa) takes a liking to her and claims her as his own personal whore. He doesn't give her much choice in the matter despite the fact that she instantly despises him, and when he wants her services, anyone else who may be involved with her at the time is asked to leave. Unfortunately for Harumi, she starts to fall in love with Narita's right hand man, Mikami (Tamio Kawachi). While it may, on the surface, seem amazing that these two could find love in the most unusual of circumstances, when it comes down to it, things are going to be very difficult for them. Mikami is a solider, through and through, and as such he refuses to disobey his superior even if it means allowing the woman he loves to be degraded for nothing more than his physical pleasure.

The film becomes interesting once the focus shifts to the relationship that grows between Mikami and Harumi. Initially she seduces him not because she finds him attractive but because she wants to use him to get back at Narita, who she hates. She doesn't expect to fall for the quiet and introverted subordinate soldier but can't help herself despite his initial resistance (made all the more obvious when he slaps her). Once their love is genuine though, it's here that Suzuki points out the hypocrisy of the war and the rules that are setup for it. These same rules make Harumi and Mikami relationship quite forbidden, and there's some irony there that Suzuki has no problem pointing out to the viewers.

Those familiar with the swirling colors and pop art gone wrong sensibilities of some of his better known films like Branded To Kill or Tokyo Drifter will maybe be a little bit surprised to find that his less linear qualities are kept firmly in check for this film. That's not to say that there aren't those 'Suzuki touches' that make his films so interesting as there are quite a few, but they're not as over the top and not quite as obvious as in the films that Nikkatsu Studios would later fire him over. The narrative in this film is simple indeed, and the challenge comes not in trying to figure out the story but in trying to figure out the all too real logic behind some of the decisions that the characters make in the movie – which makes the tragedy all the more real. Story Of A Prostitute is no Japanese Pretty Woman. There aren't any 'hookers with a heart of gold' in this movie nor are there any well to do johns waiting to whisk them away to a better life. These woman are used for sex so often that at one point one of the girls wonders how one of her co-workers can sleep in so long as the very site of a bed makes her sick.

The performances in the film are solid all around, with Isao Tamagawa stealing the show as the despicable Lt. Narita. He's a sleazy man who abuses his power for selfish reasons and Isao does a commendable job of bringing the character to life. While initially we have trouble warming up to Tamio Kawachi as Mikami it's only because we're not supposed to like him right off the bad. Yumiko Nagawa plays Harumi as a conflicted woman which fits the script, which was based on a novel, very nicely and makes perfect sense in the context of the story and the setting in which it takes place.

The cinematography by Kazue Nagatsuka (who also did Branded To Kill with Suzuki) is stark and beautiful at the same time, making excellent use of shadow and light to paint emotion across the widescreen. Landscapes and sets are captured very nicely and there are some moments in the film that are powerful and emotional even without dialogue thanks to the framing and composition used in the film.

Video:

The black and white 2.40.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks great. There is some mild edge enhancement and line shimmering (look towards the railings attached to some of the buildings for an example of this) but the instances where these occur are few and far between. There are no problems with mpeg compression artifacts and the contrast levels look to be set pretty much perfectly. There is some mild print damage present on the picture as well as some moderate grain but it's never a problem and it just reminds you that you're watching an older black and white film and not a brand spanking new Hollywood production and there's nothing wrong with that. The image is consistent and strong and presents a great deal of both foreground and background detail to the viewer. All in all, it's a typically nice transfer from Criterion, the kind we've come to expect from them.