Man of the House is a biopic based on Tochuken Kumoemon a rokyoku performer who died 20 years before this film was made. The protagonist was thoroughly unlikeable making this a difficult film to watch. Tochuken developed his performances by experiencing other people suffer, usually the women in his life. He was an insufferable "artist" who had no grasp of what real emotions were or the courage to actually feel them.

The film begins with Tochuken and his second wife Otsuma along with his troupe, traveling by train to Tokyo for his biggest performance ever. Those around him were concerned because eight years ago he'd created a scandal by having an affair with his shamisen player and divorced his wife. Now he's married to Otsuma, who is dying of tuberculosis. He has the troupe disembark in a town before arriving in Tokyo where he disappears, drinking and hanging out with geishas. His manager warns him against a relationship with the geisha Chidori for fear it will harm his wife's health. Tochuken brushes him off saying that Otsuma is a performer and knows it will help his performance. Once again, he is surrounded by scandal and in the newspapers for the wrong reasons.

His son from his first wife travels to see him but Tochuken has little time for him. He stresses that the worst thing a man can be is weak. Yet when his son stands up for his stepmother begging his father to dismiss Chidori, his father runs him off. Otsuma tells the son that they have to accept Tochuken's behavior if it helps him to perform. When Otsuma finally confonts Tochuken, he tells her that even if his performances are not as good, people love him more.

Tochuken loves to brag about his toughness. When out hunting he approaches a bird too closely and blows it to bits, much like the women in his life. As Otsuma's condition deteriorates he refuses to visit her in the hospital. He wants to remember her as a performer and not as a mere woman. Ultimately, Otsuma gives him one last performance.

I'd like to think Director Naruse was casting a critical lens on the self-absorbent, cruel behavior of a performer who excuses his actions saying it's all in the name of art. Even now, nearly 100 years later, gifted men are afforded great latitude in the name of allowing them to develop their craft whether it's acting or mathematics or politics.

Tochuken said the worst trait a man could have is weakness. As someone who could not face reality and true suffering with a posse of enablers around him to insulate him, he more than any other showed himself to be weak and pathetic. Man of the House was well made, though somewhat faded, the care of the shots shown through. Tsukigata Ryunosuke was handsome as the devilishly charismatic actor. And Naruse carefully spotlighted Tochuken's almost gleeful destructive behavior toward those closest to him which again, I'm going to take as a criticism of the egocentric behavior. Not an easy watch by any means but worth trying if you are a fan of Naruse's films or biopics, even one with a troubling subject.





8/15/22