Girls of the Night

As Japanese cinema of the 1960s became more aligned with realism, Tanaka responded with an unflinching but emotionally charged melodrama on the plight of sex workers forced into state reformatories. This impressive ensemble piece illuminates the lives of many women. However, the film ultimately belongs to Tanaka’s heroine Kuniko (Hisako), who refuses to be cowed by society and carves her own unconventional path to freedom.