will probably best be appreciated by those with an intimate knowledge of 20th century Japanese culture. The film, set just before World War II, chronicles the experiences of four upper-class Osaka sisters, two of them married. We see the shifting political and social scene through their eyes, with director Kon Ichikawa (who adapted the film from Junichiro Tanikazi's novel) conveying the proper sense of confusion and distraction. At times the film is a little too confused and distracted, thus total audience attention is not only necessary, but mandatory. , sometimes listed as , has also been released under the title .