In 1909, during the war, Kotaro Takamura joins the "Bread Club" and lives extravagantly. Through mutual friends, the Tsubaki couple, he meets Chieko Naganuma, an art student, and they quickly become close. After a year, they marry. Kotaro focuses on poetry while Chieko pursues oil painting. In 1915, Chieko's painting is rejected from the Bunte Exhibition, leading to disappointment. They visit Chieko's hometown, Nihonmatsu, where her parents welcome them warmly. After a fire takes Chieko's father's life, she abandons painting for weaving. In 1931, her niece Fumiko moves in after becoming a nurse. When Chieko's family goes bankrupt, she hides it from Kotaro, suffering alone until attempting suicide. Saved by Fumiko, she endures mental illness, only recognizing Kotaro. Despite treatment in Nihonmatsu and Kujukuri-hama, her condition worsens. Admitted to a psychiatric clinic in Shinagawa in 1938, she creates impressive artwork. She dies from pneumonia in 1938, holding Kotaro's hand.
In a contemporary review, "Whit." of Variety described Portrait of Chieko as an "Exquisitely beautiful Japanese film", noting that Shima Iwashita "delivers a finely restrained performance of Oscar proportions, catching every nuance of character with consummate acting skill". The review went on to praise the cinematography by Hiroshi Takemura, Tatsuo Homada's art direction and Masaru Satō's score.[5]
^Variety's Film Reviews 1968-1970. Vol. 12. R. R. Bowker. 1983. There are no page numbers in this book. This entry is found under the header "March 20, 1968". ISBN0-8352-2792-8.
^"智恵子抄 1957". Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
^"智恵子抄". Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 August 2021.
