The Masseurs and a Woman (1938)

At 66 minutes, this is the shortest of a quartet of films lasting under 76 minutes, which is how I managed to get through three of them in one night (had I started proceedings earlier I might’ve finished all four). Yet somehow it feels a lot longer, though I’m not sure that’s a bad thing per se in this case… Again, the narrative is kind of thin, but the DVD notes suggest Shimizu was perhaps losing interest in conventional narrative anyway. At first we think it will be about the two blind masseurs we see dominate the first reel; neither is quite Zatoichi but they’re pleased by the rate at which they can overtake sighted people and one, Toku, even gets into a fight where he bests four students. But the woman of the title, along with a man and his adopted little shit of a nephew who aren’t included in the title possibly because that would’ve made it too long, who all descend upon the same resort town the masseurs come to find work at, diffuse that focus to some extent; a string of robberies take place and Toku suspects the woman of committing them. But the film isn’t about that—indeed, it’s hard to say if the crimes are even resolved (who was the man we saw in the carriage at the end?)—cos really it’s about something else unresolved, i.e. the possibility of romance that both Toku and the other man seem to think exists; both of them clearly find themselves attracted to the woman from Tokyo, who exudes a mystery as to the reasons behind her presence that draws them both in, but no to avail. Indeed, by ultimately being about something that doesn’t happen, it comes across almost like some European arthouse drama of the 60s or something. Though about half as long. Liked this too.