Compare and Contrast the role of women in Ugetsu Monogatari and Panter Panchali
Compare and contrast the role of women in Ugetsu Monogatari and Pather Panchali. How does the role of women in the narrative reflect the cultures in which the two films were made? You will also need to consider the role of men and the women’s relationship to men. ... Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu Monogatari(1953) and Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali(1955) both deal with issues relating to their respective cultures. Both movies explore life and living at grass roots level, but both represent issues that reach to the core of the role of men and women in society. Ugetsu is the tale of two farmers and their families set against 16th century worn torn Japan. ... Pather Panchali is the first of a trilogy recording the life of a young boy named Apu. ... In both films the role of the women in society is clearly played out in the narrative, and although what the woman represents to each society is culturally and spiritually different to one another, the plight of the women in both represent a strong moral message, which is reinforced by that very representation. Before we explore the role of women it is importantly to specify the separate societies in which they are placed. The role of an Indian woman has traditionally been that of the mother and homemaker. ... Japanese women in comparison have traditionally enjoyed a much less confining society. ... The relationship to men is also a contrast. ... This means that women are who are intelligent, witty and kind are more respected than those who may have aesthetic beauty. In contrast India tends to fall in a more strict society, good looks count for very little when arranging a marriage. ... During the war Japanese women, like their counterparts all over the world, entered the workforce en mass. This gave them greater freedom and responsibility, and more importantly gave them a chance for romance However, despite the changing attitude towards women in Japan, Ugetsu tends to follow traditional role of women in Japanese folklore, that of the victim, the tragic figure. It was not traditionally acceptable for women to exceed their male counterparts. Ugetsu seems to maintain a balance between the traditional and modern views of women, in so much as it portrays women as tragic victims of society but at the same time it is the women’s dreams that are finally realised (both men realise that their wives point of view was the best course) Such is also true of Pather Panchali in which the woman voices her concerns which are largely disregarded by the husband until it is too late. ... Women warn them but are dismissed with dire consequences. This relationship between men and women is well represented in Ugetsu. ... This is representative of the image of Japanese women as seeking happiness through simple, moralistic spirituality, as she desires nothing more than a happy life, which she considers to be with Genjuro and their son Genichi. ... His greed contrasts with her love for her family and highlights her role in society as the ‘moral’ leader of the family. The relationship between Tobei and Ohama also reflects this role of a woman, as he dreams of honour and glory as a samurai, whilst she is content with what she has, and has no wild fantasies, rather just a desire to live their lives in peace. Both women constantly warn their husbands of the consequences of their unending ambition to no avail. ... This image of the mother and child left practically abandoned reflects on the roe of women as the vulnerable, tragic figure in Japan. Women represent not only the family in Japan, but also the ideals and morality of Japanese society. ... This sense of abandonment of women is also seen in Pather Panchali. ... As the role of the male, it should be his job to provide money. ... In Pather Panchali, the role of a woman in society is echoed throughout the narrative of the film. Sherbojoya is hardly ever seen at rest throughout the movie, as are most of the women in the film. At Apu’s birth there are only women present to care for the mother, and we only see his mother and his Aunt care for him. ... One scene shows Durga awake and hard at work in the yard, with women in the background performing chores such as sweeping the yard and milking the cows, while Apu sleeps in bed.