“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor. It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”
“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor. It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”
Curator's
Commentary
“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor. It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”
Curator's Feature
by Derek Lam
“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor. It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”
“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor. It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”
Curator's Feature
by Derek Lam
“Upstairs, downstairs” is a common expression referring to an unequal, class-bound society divided between the rich and the poor. It was popularized by a BBC drama (Upstairs, Downstairs, 1971-1975) set in the early part of the 20th century about an upper-class family living “upstairs” in a London townhouse above their servants “downstairs.”
Never mind climbing the social ladder: the incline is so steep today that it becomes a long slide downwards. This shift in the zeitgeist can be seen when we compare the imagery of stairs in recent cinema to an iconic Hollywood film sequence from the mid-1970s, a moment shortly before the ushering in of neoliberalism when it was still possible to believe in the American Dream.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
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In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
In Japan, the genre of the home drama or the family melodrama was a staple of classical studio filmmaking in its golden age during the 1950s when directors like Ozu and Naruse addressed the erosion of traditional family bonds in postwar society. In the age of inequality, Kore-eda has returned to the genre through films like SHOPLIFTERS to explore the contemporary meaning of home and family in a society marked by extreme social divisions and the difficulty of traversing such boundaries.
