Film Review
Sansho Dayu (a.k.a.
Sansho the Bailiff) is
unequivocally one of the all-time greats of world cinema. The universality
of its central themes - family
cohesion, suffering, grief and compassion - make it accessible to any
audience, of any time, of any place. The sheer eloquence of its
images and the searing humanity of the story it tells make this an
unforgettable and profoundly moving film. Here is a sublime work
of art that bears testament to the resilience of the human spirit and
the redeeming power of love. It is hard to believe that there
could ever be a more compassionate and poignant film than this.
This is the film that cemented Kenji Mizoguchi's international
reputation as a world class filmmaker. It completed his hat trick
of Silver Lions at the Venice Film Festival, following awards for
The Life of Oharu and
Ugetsu, his two previous
acclaimed masterpieces. The film is based on the 1915 short story by
the well-known author Mori Ogai, which was itself derived from an
ancient Japanese folk story. Mizoguchi's loyal screenwriter
Yoshikata Yoda reworked the original story somewhat (apparently because
the director loathed working with child actors) and introduced elements
of Greek tragedy.
Although period dramas of this kind were becoming increasingly
unpopular in Japan after WWII (since they represented a feudalistic
past that most Japanese were happy to forget), Mizoguchi insisted on
making them. His bosses at Daiei Studios effectively gave him
carte blanche to do so when these films found a large international
audience in the wake of the West's 'discovery' of Japanese cinema in
the early 1950s. Unlike Kurosawa, who had only been directing
films for just over a decade, Mizoguchi was a seasoned veteran who was
in the final phase of a remarkable filmmaking career. Mizoguchi's
last flourish of brilliance may have been partly fuelled by competitive
spirit, an attempt to show the world that he was at least Kurosawa's
equal, if not his superior.
Certainly, in his last five years Mizoguchi did some of his best work,
consistently turning out films that were critically acclaimed in their
day and now regarded as flawless masterworks of world cinema. Of
these,
Sansho dayu is
arguably the most perfectly crafted and emotionally engaging of all
Mizoguchi's films. The unhurried pace of this film and its
masterful use of the long take and long-shot give it a mesmeric quality
and a harrowing sense of reality. The emotions that we experience
whilst watching
Sansho dayu
are real and deeply felt, not the immediate and shallow response
we customarily feel whilst watching a film. Consequently,
when we finally arrive at the film's beautifully constructed but
devastating conclusion, our hearts are fit to burst, through the
combination of strange and powerful emotions that Mizoguchi has
awoken. If there was ever a film which everyone on
Earth should see, this is surely it.
© James Travers 2010
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Kenji Mizoguchi film:
Akasen chitai (1956)
Film Synopsis
In 11th Century Japan, an aristocratic woman, Tamaki, and her two young
children, Zushio and Anju, leave their home to look for their father.
The latter has been living in exile for several years, after disgracing
himself as Governor by defending the rights of the peasants. The
family have not travelled far before they are captured by unscrupulous
slave traders. Tamaki is sent to Sado island to work as a
prostitute whilst her children are sold into slavery on a private
estate managed by the cruel bailiff Sansho. Ten years pass.
Whilst Anju remains true to her father's humanist teachings, Zushio has
become stonehearted and cynical, all too willing to inflict punishment
on his fellow slaves at Sansho's bidding. One day, Zushio
and his sister are ordered to remove an infirm woman slave from the
estate and dump her in the wilderness. Anju realises this is the
chance she has long waited for and persuades her brother to run away
and look for his father. To avoid being captured and forced to
reveal her brother's whereabouts, Anju drowns herself.
Zushio heads for Kyoto, where he finally succeeds in seeing the Chief
Advisor. To honour the memory of his recently deceased father,
Zuzhio is appointed the new Governor of Tango. His first act is
to outlaw slavery throughout the province. Returning to Sansho's
estate, Zuzhio is heartbroken when he learns of his sister's
death. His one thought now is to be reunited with his mother, if
she is still alive...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.