What I watched starts with this text:

"This silent film appeared in 1930. It was appreciated as a masterpiece of the "proletarian film" genre at the time. Unfortunately, it was cut into pieces later on and was thought lost until a copy of the film was discovered at the Gosfilmofond Russian National Film Library. However, the Russian version is incomplete. The beginning and important scenes at the end are missing. In order to reconstruct the film the best way possible, all materials relating to it were researched and short titles for the missing scenes were prepared."

We then start the film itself, which says this:

"Life is a path of suffering that leads to death."

...and they're not kidding. It's brutal. Our heroine is Sumiko Nakamura, played by Keiko Takatsu (WHO'S STILL ALIVE TODAY!!!). Her father's committed suicide, but she hasn't realised. She thinks he's sent her to live with her uncle, who might hopefully send her to school? Fat chance. That would cost money. (This movie portrays a lot of illiteracy, which is slightly shocking given modern Japan's remarkable ability to ensure that absolutely everyone can read and write their difficult language.)

Sumiko's lovely. She's innocent and wouldn't hurt a fly... yet she's going to commit arson. Why? What drove her to it? Answer: a hell of a lot, including being sold by her relatives, violence, being unjustly accused of theft, being used by thieves, sexual harassment, suicide and attempted suicide, abandonment and being sent to a Christian reformatory that calls it a sin to write a letter to your husband. Her life's horrible. Dreadful things keep happening, although in fairness the film will sometimes jump forward a year or three to show that Sumiko's back on her feet and about to try something new.

The "proletarian film" thing is strong enough that I see why the Soviets kept a copy of the film. Sumiko gets worked to the bone by more than one skinflint employer. "We can't stand it anymore. We don't have enough to eat. Look, the mouse is labouring just the same way we do. We're working ourselves to death and who is getting the money from it?"

We also meet the worthless idle rich, when Sumiko becomes a town councillor's maid. "Are you trying to kill my daughter?" This daughter can't handle fish that contains bones and will spew her lunch across the table if she finds even the tiniest one.

"But can't the young lady bone the fish herself?"

"If she has to do it on her own, she'd rather not eat it."

Sumiko decides to commit suicide with her husband. Was the marriage legal? Well, who cares? They've got nowhere to turn and have made the rational, despairing calculation that death's their best option.

"How beautiful. The moon, the sea... I can't believe we're going to die now."

"Are you having doubts?"

"I'm happy I'll be able to go with you, Shintaro."

...but she's saved. Only her. Not her husband. Afterwards, a doctor says, "How lucky to survive a double suicide! It's like she's in heaven. What a lucky girl!"

Lucky. Heaven. Yeah, right. It's a shame the original film's ending has been lost, because what remains is shocking even as subtitles on a black screen. Sumiko goes psycho crazy and we agree with her. This film got a sequel the following year, called "Nani ga Kanojo o Koroshita ka?" (i.e. "What Killed Her?"), and it made the top 10 of Kinema Junpo's Top Japanese Movies of 1931. It again starred Keiko Takatsu as Sumiko and I believe it's a lost film. I've got mixed feelings about that. I'd have watched it if I'd found a copy, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it.

It's not exploitation cinema, mind you. There's no blood, nudity, ultra-violence or anything like that. Its on-screen content is theoretically tame. It's also less hard-hitting than some other "proletarian films", like Tomu Uchida's A Living Puppet and Kenji Mizoguchi's Metropolitan Symphony (both 1929). The studio lightened its social criticism to make it more appealing to audiences, thus making it a massive hit and the top-grossing Japanese silent film of all time. After it screened, there was a riot in Tokyo's Asakusa district.

Had my dad still been alive, I'd have shown him this film. He'd have loved it. I'm pretty sure everyone else in my family would struggle, though.