Majorthebys
Charming and brutal
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
vincentgarias
The sublime camera-work, The editing, the Black and white cinematography, the acting, the script:, All of it resumes Japan's golden era, from Seven Samurai to Tokyo story (Tokyo monogatari) , mizoguchi's masterworks surpasses even those 2 movies and American drama films from the 50's. The film is the quintessential example of the movie term "Human condition". it just not tells the story from a political point of view but also from From both human sides of politics and The people; what a rich family suffer and what the poor suffer during hard times. The title "Sansho, the bailif" means everything: the main character's struggle even tho not seeing as such it is a human suffering. The ending is perhaps the epitome of all drama endings, the suffering of cinema and change of an era dies in that last scene.
JP_Shay
A family torn apart during the oppression of medieval Japan struggles to survive and reunite in this powerful film by Kenji Mizoguchi. What makes "Sansho The Bailiff" so powerful is the bond between the brother and sister who were sold as slave workers at an early age, and the hardships they endure over the years. The mother was sold separately as a prostitute and longs for the return of her children. Though, the distance between them is large, they are bonded by love and an everlasting drive to reunite. I would be lying if I said this is not a dark film. This is a very dark film but underneath the darkness lies a perpetual beauty. I was genuinely in awe of the cinematography of this film. This is definitely one of the finest looking films ever. From beginning to end, every single frame is a work of art and brings color to the black and white. One scene that comes to mind is the mother, son, daughter and servant making a shelter underneath a tree. The way the scene plays out as the camera follows the children back and forth while they happily gather brush for the fire is one of the only lighthearted moments in the film. They are unaware of where they are going but they have each other, for now. Japan is quite a magnificent land and since this film is a period piece, it was mostly shot on location and the sets/props to be as faithful to the original source as they could. I found 'Sansho' to be very sincere in that respect. The performances are all extremely good and seemed reminiscent of classical theatre, which gave it a very genuine feel. I would not be surprised if all of the actors were classically trained theatre actors. Yoshiaki Hanayagi (who plays the son "Zuchio") is the main hero of the story and he shines in the role. After a decade of living under the rule of Sansho the bailiff, Zuchio becomes complacent in his role as a slave and in his own words decides "it is better to get on the bailiff's good side than try to escape and become a beggar or bandit at best." much to the dismay of his younger sister Anju, who urges him to remember their dream of freedom and reunion. These differing perspectives lead to conflict among the pair, which is depicted in such a way that we understand both sides and never lose faith in Zuchio realizing his destiny. Kenji Mizoguchi definitely has a style of his own and utilizes it to bring to life powerful human stories. The music was composed by the great Fumio Harayake, who also worked on "Ugetsu" and many other classics. His score for "Sansho" perfectly accompanies the films atmosphere and enhances the emotions evoked. Mixed with the wonderful cinematography and brilliant storytelling, you are left with a masterful film all the way around and I recommend it to everyone who appreciates good cinema in general. I lost track of time during the 2 hour run length because the story had me so involved and caring about what happens next. This film exceeded my expectations - breathtaking and visually stunning - what a wonderful film! The ending will leave you in tears. 10/10 ps - The title may be misleading. "Sansho The Bailiff" is not actually about Sansho the bailiff. He is an important figure and the film's main "villain" so to speak, but it is ultimately about the separated family.
Aleksandar Sarkic
" Sansho the Bailiff" is definitely one of those movies you will remember for a long time, this was second movie i have watched from Kenji Mizoguchi, the first was "Ugetsu" which is also wonderful movie, but this one is masterpiece. I am fan of Japanese cinema for a long time now, especially of older movies, and in my opinion this is one of the best movies ever to came out from Japan. The most i like about this movie is a atmosphere, the camera, and emotions you feel and get.My favorite scene is ending scene when finally after so many years main character Zushio find his mother, and when they hug each other, finally he finds peace and personal heaven after so many years of pain and sorrow, and what i like about this movie is a message to stay human, to stay open to other people and their suffering. Also what i like about this movie is that is set in Heian period, other historical dramas are occasionally set at Edo period, we see how life for ordinary people in that period of Japanese history was harsh. I am recommending this movie to all people who still feel human in this unhuman world and remember "Without mercy, man is not a human being."
Jose Cruz
My rating: 9.5 out of 10.Japanese films tend to be more powerful than western films, I have noticed it in Ozu's films, such as Late Spring, in Kurosawa's films, such as Ikiru, and Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies, tend to be very powerful dramas, indeed, this is one of these supremely powerful films. I think that the strong willed Japanese culture is capable of producing more powerful works of cinema.The film has a very good score for the time it was made (though the sound quality has declined a bit over the time, apparently) and the cinematography is very good, though, I don't like black and white that much (I personally prefer strong colors over black and white). The final moments of the film will be forever imprinted in my memory and this is by far the best film I have watched recently.I given a less than perfect score because of it's technical imperfections (which are the product of the time which the film was made): I have no mercy on the technical limitations in which the directors had to work, a better film is a better film and if the discrepancy is due to better technology and greater financial resources so be it.Overall, a must see for those who wish to know what a great movie is.
