If you enjoyed the 1974 film Sandakan 8, you'll appreciate this earlier 1956 film, Street of Shame. The two films document the lives of women in Japanese brothels who work as prostitutes. Both films document the desperate poverty endured by these women, and the various sexist ways in which women are oppressed and abused by their families and the society. Street of Shame specifically focuses on the post-WWII era while the later film Sandakan 8 actually describes an earlier time in history, closer to turn of the century, so it's an interesting comparison if you see the later film first. Both films show the inner strength and resourcefulness of some women, and the ways in which other women are so beaten down that they cannot survive the cumulative trauma of their lives.
Review of Street of Shame
