Film archive, 1960

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

女が階段を上る時

Director Naruse Mikio

1Festival entries

★Avg. rating

Based on Kikushima Ryuzo's original screenplay, the film portrays the life of a woman working as a madam at a bar. The film masterfully utilizes the "staircase"—portrayed as a symbolic space—and the composition of Cinemascope to delicately portray the inner world of a woman.

Stills3

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs 1 — ©1960 TOHO CO., LTD.

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs 2 — ©1960 TOHO CO., LTD.

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs 3 — ©1960 TOHO CO., LTD.

Film details

Director: Naruse Mikio
Country/Region: Japan
Year: 1960
Length: 111min
Original language: Japanese
Elsewhere: Letterboxd IMDb Wikidata TMDB Douban

Director

Naruse Mikio

Born in 1905. Naruse made his directorial debut with Mr. and Mrs. Swordplay (1930) and established his reputation with Wife! Be Like a Rose! (1935). After WWII, he made numerous masterpieces including Repast (1951), Floating Clouds (1955), and Flowing (1956).

From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39