IMDb > Sanshô dayû (1954)

Sanshô dayû (1954) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   3,720 votes
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Up 23% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Writers:
Ogai Mori (story)
Fuji Yahiro (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Legend of Bailiff Sansho on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1955 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
A film of unparalleled beauty by the great Japanese Master Kenji Mizoguchi
Plot:
In mediaeval Japan a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Delicate woodcut prints come to life more (23 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Kinuyo Tanaka ... Tamaki
Yoshiaki Hanayagi ... Zushiô
Kyôko Kagawa ... Anju
Eitarô Shindô ... Sanshô dayû
Akitake Kôno ... Taro
Masao Shimizu ... Masauji Taira
Ken Mitsuda ... Prime Minister Fujiwara
Kazukimi Okuni ... Norimura
Yôko Kosono ... Kohagi
Noriko Tachibana ... Namiji
Ichirô Sugai ... Minister of Justice
Teruko Omi ... Nakagimi
Masahiko Kato ... Young Zushio
Keiko Enami ... Young Anju
Bontarô Akemi ... Kichiji
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Legend of Bailiff Sansho (USA)
Sansho the Bailiff (UK)
The Bailiff (USA)
more
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Japan
Language:
Japanese
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Filming Locations:
Japan
Company:
Daiei Studios more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
'Kenji Mizoguchi' initially intended to center the film around Sansho, the Slavelord. However, the film ended up with the sad story of Zushio and Anju as its narrative, dramatic center. more
Quotes:
Taro: [to Zushio] I found that humans have little sympathy for things that don't directly concern them. They're ruthless. Unless those hearts can be changed, the world you dream of cannot come true. If you wish to live honestly with your conscience, keep close to the Buddha. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Aru eiga-kantoku no shogai (1975) more

FAQ

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18 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Delicate woodcut prints come to life, 5 June 2006
Author: (futures@exis.net) from Ronn Ives/FUTURES Antiques, Norfolk, VA.

"Sansho the Bailiff" (Japanese, 1954): Kenji Mizoguchi made an epic film from what was (apparently) a centuries-old Japanese morality tale. We watch a well-to-do family slowly disintegrate - not from events they cause, but those out of their control. How they each react, how they deal with the passing years and events, and how they find solutions (if any) are powerful, emotional, lessons in life. Can a half-century old Japanese film be useful to a contemporary American audience? Of course it can. Human issues of love, devotion, honor, greed, lust, hate, violence, sadness, and revenge are, if anything, in further need of consideration and dealing. To enhance these thoughts, the musical scoring is superb (I love classical Japanese music), the photography is in gorgeous black/gray/white with artful composing, the pacing is patient and more explanatory than many Japanese films (perhaps Mizoguchi had foreign audiences in mind – which I appreciate!), and I often felt like I was watching delicate woodcut prints come to life.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Did I miss something? antonioiam
why didn't the sister? (spoiler) dpnguyen29
'Sansho the Bailiff' or 'Seven Samurai': which do you prefer? ottffsse_sequence
Absolutely stunning! alexbunardzic
The Perils and Rewards of Blind Buys eddyrayoq
Sansho the Bailiff VS Ugetsu KAGE555
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