Wife (1953): cast, story & where to watch
1953 · Film · ★ 6.9
Released in 1953, Wife is a drama film directed by Mikio Naruse, running about 96 minutes.
What it’s about. Ten years into a marriage, the wife is disappointed by the husband's lack of financial success, meaning she has to work and can't treat herself and the husband finds the wife slovenly and mean-spirited: she neither cooks not cleans particularly well and is generally disagreeable. In turn, he alternately ignores her and treats her as a servant. Neither is particularly happy, not helped by their unsatisfactory lodgers. The husband is easily seduced by an ex-colleague, a widow with a small child who needs some security, and considers leaving his wife.
Who’s in it. Wife stars Mieko Takamine as Mihoko Nakagawa, Ken Uehara as Toichi, Mihoko's husband, Rentaro Mikuni as Tadashi Tanimura and Michiyo Aratama as Yoshimi Niemura, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Wife has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Criterion Channel. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Wife page.
If you liked it. Fans of Wife tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Wife (1953)?
- In US, Wife is available to stream on Criterion Channel. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Wife worth watching?
- Wife holds an audience score of 6.9 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Wife?
- Wife stars Mieko Takamine, Ken Uehara, Rentaro Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama and Chieko Nakakita.
- When was Wife released?
- Wife was released in 1953, with a runtime of about 96 minutes.