The US occupation army under General MacArthur imposed strict controls on Japanese cinema in the post-war years, and Mizoguchi was one of the directors who took advantage of the new "democratic" imperatives to make a series of angry films about the rights of women, all starring the magnificent Tanaka Kinuyo. My Love Has Been Burning is the best, inspired by the autobiography of Kageyama Hideko, a late 19th-century feminist pioneer. The film fictionalises her as Hirayama Eiko, a young woman who rebels against her parents and follows a male friend to Tokyo to work for a fledgling political party – only to discover that when it comes to women’s rights, sisters have to do it for themselves. There are scenes of astonishing violence (the crushing of the protest at the silk mill is based on a real incident) but the film’s real power lies in its political analysis and fiery performances.