SANSHO THE BAILIFF (1954)

I've made a list of films, the History of the World on film, and it's allowing me to both watch a large list of films I've compiled from imdb.com, roger ebert's great movies, and a list of the 100 greatest foreign films. I threw in a few more popular historical epics as well. It's a long list: I'm currently at around A.D. 1100.

SANSHO THE BAILIFF (1954)

directed by Kenji Mizoguchi


A very beatiful film, but also a depressing film and one that's so slow in places I just wanted to close my eyes and be lulled to sleep by the music of the... what is that, wind in reeds? Basically, this is, like RASHOMON (1950), a film about humanity at its worst. RASHOMON was mostly about lying as a means of self-protection and image-control. SANSHO THE BAILIFF is about human rights. A family is torn apart essentially because the man of the house disobeys his superior's orders in favor of the citizens of the province he's been made governor of. His superior goes around him to get what he wants anyway, and when the citizens become a rioting mob in response, the governor is blamed for it, and is exiled. When his family goes out to meet him, they are taken advantage of by a priestess and sold into slavery (the mother split from her children). For the remainder of the film, the family takes their ethereal but impractical ideals, and makes a series a of rash and stupid decisions with them. The film ends with people crying. Out of joy, out of sorrow, a bittersweet blend of both, whatever, the film ends with people crying. It's a beautiful story with beautiful cinematography. Watch with a full pot of coffee and a box of kleenex and your finger on the pause button so you can occasionally stop to talk to your friends about how stupid the people are.

8.00/10