Sansho the Bailiff (1954) [Film Review]

Sansho the Bailiff; or, The Measure of a Man
     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.
Rarely one encounters deeply depressing and gut-wrenching movies which do not resort to showing explicit violence. Without a doubt, Kenji Mizoguchi’s Sansho the Bailiff is such a film. I heard about it years ago, but it was this month when I finally gave it a go because of my research into the career of actress Kyoko Kagawa. Well, the movie made such an impression on me that I started writing this review immediately after having watched it.

Release Info

Directed by: Kenji Mizoguchi Starring: Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyoko Kagawa, Kinuyo Tanaka

Language: Japanese Original Title: 山椒大夫 Runtime: 125 min

Synopsis
Inspired by an ancient folk tale, the movie tells the story of Zushio (Yoshiaki Hanayagi) and Anju (Kyoko Kagawa). Their father, a merciful governor, is banished by a feudal lord to a distant province. The governor orders his wife, Tamaki (Kinuyo Tanaka), to take their children to her brother. Several years later, the mother and two children journey back to the father’s province. However, they are attacked by bandits and separated. Tamaki ends up as a courtesan on  Sado Island, whereas Zushio and Anju are sold as slaves to Sansho the Bailiff, a ruthless government official who runs his private mansion. Children wait till adulthood in order to attempt escape…

Eternal Suffering
Interestingly, the movie’s title does not refer to the main protagonists, but to the main villain. In Sansho the Bailiff, Kenji Mizoguchi explores the shortcomings of human nature. The world is not inherently evil but, indeed, it is a dark and dangerous place. However, every kind of darkness is defeated by the light coming from one righteous individual, as Zushio’s father states: “Without mercy, man is like a beast. Even if you are hard on yourself, be merciful to others.”

To be honest, Sansho the Bailiff is a tough movie to watch. Even though there is no black magic as in Mizoguchi’s previous film Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), I was really scared when watching the journey of young Zushio and Anju. Their arduous stay at Sansho’s mansion was scary for completely other reasons. Nevertheless, long takes and wonderful forest setting really enhance the aesthetic level of the movie.

Out of all the great pictures directed by Mizoguchi, including The Life of Oharu (1952) and The Crucified Lovers (1954), I place Sansho the Bailiff at the very top of the director’s achievements. Heart-warming characters and their tragedy invest you emotionally into the story. It is all the more rewarding seeing Sansho getting his comeuppance (no spoilers), but the price of justice is just too high.

With regard to performances, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyoko Kagawa, and Kinuyo Tanaka are just marvellous in their roles. I appreciate the degree of theatricality the actors brought to their characters. Consequently, the film feels like a top notch stage play.

Interestingly, there was an American stage adaptation on the basis of Sansho the Bailiff in the 1990s, starring the famous Bai Ling. Another fact which has to be mentioned is that the movie was hard to come by in the West until 2007 when Criterion released their DVD version.

Recommendations
All things considered, I highly recommend Sansho the Bailiff to any fan of Japanese movies. Watching this film is quite an experience, and it is an excellent insight into the darkness of human nature. The message of the film lives on and resonates even today.
Overall score: 9/10

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