
“Oyuki,the[Virgin]isbasedonKawaguchiMatsutaro’sadaptationofMaupassant’s“BouledeSuif”[“LumpofFat,”alsotheinspirationforFord’sStagecoach].TothisstoryMizoguchiaddedsomeofhisownelements.Maupassant’soriginalwork,setduringtheFranco-PrussianWar,isthestoryofagroupofpeoplewhotrytofleethebattlegroundinahorsedrawncarriage.Thebourgeoisusetheexpression“lumpoffat”torefersarcasticallytotheprostitutewhoisridingalongwiththem.Whentheyarecaughtbytheenemy,theyoffertosendhertothecommanderasahumansacrifice.Thisdone,whentheyleavethebattlefieldthenextday,alltheydoiscensureherandcallhervulgar.<br/> ThesceneshiftstotheSeinanwarinKyushu.Atonestage,governmentforcesareseentryingtocontrolthecarriage.Asanewelementtotheoriginalstorythefilmshowstheseforcesbeingdefeatedinbattle.Thecommanderfleesandhidesinthehomeofthefemaleprotagonist,asakéserver.<br/> Theoriginalworkisacritiqueofbourgeoisselfishness.[Oyuki]isshownasahumblewoman,protectedbyayoungmanouttomakeasuccessofhimselfintheworld,aMizoguchithemesovisibleinotherfilms.”<br/> --TadaoSato,KenjiMizoguchiandtheArtofJapaneseCinema





