Chikamatsus Love in Osaka

The adopted son of an Osaka courier falls in love with a prostitute and discovering that she is about to be purchased by a client steals money from his employer to redeem her Hunted criminals the two young lovers take flight to Yamato but as in Chikamatsus other domestic tragedies of love and duty known as sewamono they must be pursued and their passion destroyed by death Favourite Uchida themes such as the indenturing of a prostitute and his characteristic emphasis on performance and theatrical artifice reemerge here but the daring device of having Chikamatsu appear as a character not unlike having Shakespeare interpolated into a film adaptation of one of his plays is just one of many surprises this remarkable film holds Extraordinary Donald Richie