6 Best Kinuyo Tanaka Movies

By Vlad Zakh · September 8, 2027

Drama intensethought provoking

Kinuyo Tanaka became one of Japanese cinema’s defining tragic heroines through her collaborations with director Kenji Mizoguchi, bringing devastating emotional depth to stories of suffering and endurance.

The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka (1967) 01

The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka (1967)

IMDb ★ 7.0

A pioneering surgeon's wife and mother compete to support his risky medical experiments.

A Geisha (1953) 02

A Geisha (1953)

IMDb ★ 7.4

A young geisha and her mentor navigate the exploitative economics of their profession in postwar Kyoto.

Sandakan No. 8 (1974) 03

Sandakan No. 8 (1974)

IMDb ★ 7.2

A researcher uncovers the harrowing history of Japanese women trafficked into overseas brothels.

Sansho the Bailiff (1954) 04

Sansho the Bailiff (1954)

IMDb ★ 8.2

A noblewoman's children are sold into slavery and forced labor after their family is exiled.

Ugetsu (1953) 05

Ugetsu (1953)

IMDb ★ 8.2

Two peasant men chasing wealth and glory during wartime bring ruin upon the wives who love them.

The Life of Oharu (1952) 06

The Life of Oharu (1952)

IMDb ★ 8.0

A woman's life spirals into ruin and degradation after a forbidden love affair in her youth.

Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.