Sanshô dayû (1954)

Director:

Kenji Mizoguchi

Writers:

Ogai Mori (story)
Fuji Yahiro (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

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...

Plot Keywords:

Governor | Loss Of Sister | Brother Sister Relationship | Figurine | Escaped Slave

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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
Chieko Naniwa	...	Ubatake
Kikue Môri	...	Priestess
Ryosuke Kagawa	...	Ritsushi Kumotake
Kanji Koshiba	...	Kaikudo Naito
Shinobu Araki	...	Sadaya
Reiko Kongo	...	Shiono
Shozo Nanbu	...	Masasue Taira
Ryonosuke Azuma	...	Landlord
Saburo Date	...	Kimpei
Sumao Ishihara	...	Yakko
Ichirô Amano	...	Guard
Yukio Horikita	...	Jiro
Hachiro Okuni	...	Saburo Miyazaki
Jun Fujikawa	...	Kanamaru
Akiyoshi Kikuno	...	Guard
Soji Shibata	...	Sado Man
Akira Shimizu	...	Slave Trader
Goro Nakanishi	...	Guard

Directed by
Kenji Mizoguchi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ogai Mori		story "Sanshô dayû"
Fuji Yahiro		writer
Yoshikata Yoda		writer

Produced by
Masaichi Nagata	....	producer

Original Music by
Fumio Hayasaka
Tamekichi Mochizuki
Kanahichi Odera

Cinematography by
Kazuo Miyagawa

Film Editing by
Mitsuzô Miyata

Production Design by
Kisaku Ito
Shozaburo Nakajima

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tokuzo Tanaka	....	assistant director

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenichi Okamoto	....	gaffer

Production Companies

• Daiei Studios

Distributors

• Brandon Films Inc. (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (laserdisc)
• Eureka Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Kadokawa Herald Pictures (1954) (Japan) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Legend of Bailiff Sansho (USA)
Sansho the Bailiff (UK)
The Bailiff (USA)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG (1998) | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | UK:A | Hong Kong:I

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Daiei Studios

Quotes:

Zushiô: [quoting his father] "Without mercy, man is not a human being."

Movie Connections:

Version of Anju to zushio-maru (1961)

An enormously powerful tale of oppression and resistance

I don't consider SANSHO DAYU to be the best introduction to the great Kenji Mizoguchi, but - after many viewings, I do consider it to be the best of what I've seen.

In the years after WWII, Mizoguchi's interest in period drama deepened - he ultimately was best known outside of Japan for his period dramas (jidaigeki), though his take on the historical film was highly personalized with the introduction of contemporary thematic elements, and this film is the high water mark in that development, with a detailed story exploring oppression, class structures and societal ethics.

Late in life, Mizoguchi's interest in Buddhism also expanded tremendously, which is reflected to a great degree in this film, with various sacrifices, renunciations of privilege, and familial reconciliations figuring prominently in the intricate story - notably so at SANSHO's magnificent ending.