Based on Junichiro Tanizaki’s epic novel Sasameyuki (‘A Light Snowfall’), The Makioka Sisters covers the complex relationships of four sisters from a haughty upper middle-class Osaka family. The year is 1938. The two eldest sisters, Tsuruko (Keiko Kishi) and Sachiko (Yoshiko Sakuma), are married. Yukiko (Sayuri Yoshinaga) must marry before her younger sister Taeko (Yuko Katewaga) can start courting, but Yukiko can’t find a mate who meets her and her oldest sister’s rigid expectations.
More so than marriage, it is the relationship dynamics between the sisters that takes center stage. Sachiko—the kinder, less obsessed with outward appearances—allows her two single siblings to live with her, but the knowledge that her husband Teinosuke (Koji Ishizaka) lusts after Yukiko, troubles her beyond measure. Tsuruko is a woman struggling to hold on to the past. She is desperate to hold on to the upper class traditions that are being slowly pushed aside. She speaks in clipped, measured tones that make her sisters sound like flunkies in comparison. Yukiko rarely talks; her mousy personality seems to suggest a woman with no particular aspirations. Taeko, an independent spirit, longs for her own career.
A natural divide exists between the two older sisters, and the two younger ones. Yukiko and Taeko moved out of Tsuruko’s home after a scandal, in which she attempted to elope with a jeweler’s pampered son. The two are still carrying on a clandestine relationship, but her ardor is cooling. It’s also a clear indication of the generational divide—Yukiko isn’t steeped in the marriage order tradition; she wants the freedom to acknowledge love whenever it comes along. For Taeko, her burgeoning career as a doll maker is the epitome of happiness. Marriage is not a top priority.
Humor and moments of sisterly unity occur during Yukiko’s ritual lunch ‘dates’ with potential husbands: the oddest one is with a man who cultivates the ayu fish for a living. After drying describing his profession, he presents the death certificates of his first wife and children. These moments further to strengthen the bond between the sisters, and helps lead them to the conclusion that being happy and confident as individual is much more important than concerning themselves with the perception of the family name.
Co-written by director Kon Ichikawa, and Shinya Hidaka, the script maintains a healthy respect for the novel on which it’s based. At the same, it’s been given a decidedly Hollywood flair. Much of The Makioka Sisters plays out in a way that fans of Douglas Sirk’s films could easily appreciate. Ichikawa guides the picture in a much more subtle manner than Sirk likely would have done. Letting the sister’s feelings play out, rather than setting up dramatic scene, after dramatic scene.
The ensemble cast in The Makioka Sisters is wonderful. Believable as siblings, each actress gives there character mannerisms and traits that make them more relatable. Sayuri Yoshinaga’s sweetness makes Yukiko inherently likable. Yoshiko Sakuma’s warmth gives Sachiko a proper sadness; she may have the most difficult position in the family. Yuko Kotegawa’s Taeko, wears her inner struggle on her face.
Criterion’s 1.85:1 Blu-ray transfer for The Makioka Sisters shows a superior level of detail. The image is deep, with lots of visible background and foreground information. Black levels are spot on. Colors are rich and even; the resolution is very good with a nice level of grain.
The original Japanese soundtrack is presented in uncompressed mono, and it sounds very good. Dialogue is perfectly audible, and the music has a nice sonic texture. There are no glitches, or any underlying hiss. The new subtitles read clearly and have the appropriate character.
This is a barebones release, with almost no special features. However that is reflected in the disc’s price. The film’s original theatrical trailer is included, as well as a an 18-page booklet that contains cast and crew lists, some exquisite stills, and a new essay by film scholar Audie Bock.
