**Isuzu Yamada (1915-2012)** was a Japanese actress, one of the most iconic figures of her country's cinema. Her career spanned decades, from the silent era to the post-war period. Renowned for her versatility and her ability to portray complex and often tragic characters, she collaborated with prominent directors such as Kenji Mizoguchi and Akira Kurosawa.

Among her most memorable roles are the geishas and tormented women in Mizoguchi's *Osaka Elegy* (1936) and *Sisters of the Gion* (1936). With Kurosawa, she delivered intense performances as Lady Macbeth in *Throne of Blood* (1957), the manipulative wife in *The Lower Depths* (1957), and the cunning old woman in *Yojimbo* (1961). Her expressiveness and emotional depth made her an unforgettable face of Japanese cinema.