Following Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, “Yukiko” (Hideko Takamine) finds herself searching for purpose. She had an affair with the married “Tomioka” (Masayuki Mori), but when he was sent to work for the forestry service in Annam, she believed it was over. However, she too is assigned there as a typist and their relationship resumes. While not exactly joyful, things are relatively stable for “Yukiko” until her return to Japan, where she discovers that they can never truly be together and he has been unfaithful. To be honest, she also looks for comfort elsewhere, having an affair with an American soldier at one point, but ultimately, her affections remain with “Tomioka”. Given their frequent financial struggles and his tendency toward instability, what possibility do they have of making a success of this unusual and troubled relationship when he’s presented with a position as a ranger on a distant island? This is a deliberately slow-moving melodrama that seems determined to pack in almost every post-war hardship—homelessness, poverty, rape, pregnancy, and infidelity—within its two-hour running time. Both lead actors deliver performances filled with genuine sadness as they attempt to survive despite their own shortcomings within a devastated country where women held little power or respect. The cinematography, the constant rain, and an overwhelming feeling of despair all contribute significantly, and you can be sure that theirs is a path unlikely to have a happy ending.

Source on TMDB