Onna no sono

There is probably no more appropriate context for the intellectual basis of the Ninjin Club than the filming of a film about an uprising by female students at a women's university. The film begins with a protest march to the university administration and then, in a flashback, fans out the events and constellations of figures that led to open resistance against the repressive authoritarian leadership and its strict doctrines. The actors include the young Yoshie (Hideko Takamine), who is trying to escape the confines of the small town and an arranged marriage, as well as Akiko, a liberal spirit from a wealthy family (Yoshiko Kuga, drawn surprisingly close to her own biography) and Fumie (Kazuko Yamamoto), who is deeply committed to politics. In lengthy dialogues, the students negotiate social, political, family and emotional conflicts that extend far beyond the walls of the university. (mg)