Story of a Prostitute presents sensational subject matter with taste and sensitivity far outpacing anything found in American films of 1965. Hollywood's production code view of prostitution produced toothless sniggering comedies or dramas warped into vague abstractions, like the trashy Walk on the Wild Side.

Suzuki's film deals frankly with traditions that have followed every army since war was invented. Few societies publicize camp-following prostitutes or the houses that are allowed to exist near most military bases; besides hiring voluntary 'comfort girls,' the Japanese have been accused of forcing captured women into similar service.

Suzuki's approach is partly realistic, with frequent forays into expressive stylization. We see split-screen images of her rage at being jilted by her lover, who has married another. For some sequences the screen breaks into staggered still frames or changes to slow motion. Erratic jump cuts express frenzied horror as she feels herself being degraded by the men she sleeps with. Her thoughts become 'real' in subjective wish-fulfillment scenarios, often slightly overexposed or in slow motion. Idealized lovemaking with Mikami surrounds the pair in a softening aura of happiness. When Harumi expresses her desire to kill a tormenting officer, pixillated animation makes his image literally tear apart before our eyes. None of these effects come across as a gimmick or faddish experimentation; each communicates Suzuki's specifically ironic point of view.

Most importantly, there is nothing truly exploitative or cheap about Story of a Prostitute. The film's nudity is neither mere decoration nor emphasized as a subject unto itself. We're far too immersed in the characters to pay it much mind.

Seeing the Army brutalities from the point of view of a woman makes militarism of any stripe seem doubly obscene. The soldiers have no rights and are helpless under the will of their immediate superiors, many of whom are sadistic fanatics. The officer corps murders civilians just to save face, let off steam and to maintain a level of terror among their own troops. Their inhuman notion of feudal honor makes desertion or aiding the enemy a more desirable alternative than being captured and escaping. Mikami fights nobly but is taken prisoner while unconscious. The Chinese don't even bother to kill him but instead leave their captive behind as they retreat, knowing his own Army will do the job for them.

Harumi and Mikami are helpless victims stranded in a barren Chinese landscape. The cruel Narita torments Mikami for having a will of his own and uses Harumi as an emotional punching bag. The comfort women are desirable but disposable objects, even when their soldier clients are respectful. One manages a hopeful marriage but soon returns, rejected by her new husband's family. Under the mounting pressure Mikami becomes resigned to a dark fate, while Harumi is given to erratic fits of hysteria. It's no surprise when their final choice comes down to the empty desert and a double suicide.

Criterion's beautiful DVD of Story of a Prostitute gives us an impressive enhanced B&W image transferred at an extra-wide Nikkatsu-Scope 2:40. We can almost feel the cold mystery of the Chinese deserts, and the sweaty intimacy of Harumi's workplace.

Disc producer Abbey Lustgarten has assembled an interesting and well-organized interview docu moderated by film critic Tadao Sato. It's fleshed out with pointed and playful interviews from production designer Takeo Kimura and director Suzuki, who in his 80s is still actively making pictures. David Chute provides a cogent insert essay. The amusing original trailer sells Story of a Prostitute as a 'scandalous' film offering, Japanese-style.

Seijun Suzuki's wild crime tales have their exotic and bizarre qualities but his Story of a Prostitute is a more deeply felt drama, perhaps because its military setting is universally understood. The director may have been the Wild Man of his day, but this is a world-class piece of cinema.

On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, Story of a Prostitute rates:
Movie: Excellent
Video: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
Supplements: Interview featurette with director Seijun Suzuki, production designer Takeo Kimura, and film critic Tadao Sato; Essay by film critic David Chute, trailer
Packaging: Keep case
Reviewed: July 31, 2005