1 Question (spoilers)

Firstly i really liked this film, like most Kenji Mizoguchi films - but have one problem.

Near the beginning the mother and servant got on the boat, and thus this is the part where they are separated from Anju and Zushiô. I just felt that this was badly done: how come the mother and servant didn't just jump off the boat and stay with their children? Even forsaking their belongings. It just didn't make any sense to me, i mean they were still very close to shore, the water didn't appear to be too deep. It annoyed me about this as it didn't seem realistic, or maybe someone can explain it?

I thought maybe it could've been written more so that for instance they got on a boat and the boatmen said oh the boats not big enough for the 4; the 2 children stay with that woman and the men say we will bring them over when we come back but then by the time that happens for them to be kidnapped. I just thought it was silly, because the mother clearly could've simply jumped out of the boat, then ran to the children. Okay later on they might still have been kidnapped and sold as slaves, but i just didn't like the way this was done, even though i thought it was a brillant film.