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Sanshiro Sugata More at IMDbPro »Sugata Sanshirô (original title)
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| Index | 18 reviews in total |
24 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
Depth, 17 June 2007
Author:
tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) from Virginia Beach
Before you seek this out, know that it is an incomplete restoration.
Bits are missing. Some edits are inexplicable and some scenes are
muddy.
Having said that, you will find this to be one of Kurasawa's most
interesting projects. Two things...
One is that this was made by the bad guys during the war. Incredible
atrocities were being committed in the name of racial superiority and
the supposition of a refined nobility. Japanese, German and American
films (even Italian ones) turned to reinforcing the national character.
In the Japanese case, that was linked to matters of honor refracted
through Shinto spirituality, honor of a past ideal that never really
existed, which in US terms means what "conservatives" tout.
It was a terrible exercise, more obvious in looking at it from the
outside and knowing the context. Kurosawa's story was every bit as
engineered for this purpose as any Reifenstahl project. Oddly, this
film is fragmented because the sensors thought it not ennobling enough.
One presumes that Kurosawa's moments of reflection, and possibly a
whole love story, were among the half of the movie that was removed. So
just on the level of the story itself (a modernized samurai tale), its
of interest.
But it IS Kurasawa, so we have to pay attention to the way the camera
engages with the space. This is his very first film as director, though
he had written before. In all his films he registers the camera first
in a space and then allows action to happen in that space. He has three
periods of different types of spatial identity, each illuminating, each
inventing new language. But this is before all that and what we have is
clear, overt experimentation with space. Some of it is quite thrilling,
quite independent of the fascist movement of the story proper.
Even here, he is breaking the rules of flat Japanese composition from
eons of painting. He was considered unJapanese in his native country
and never very popular. So at the same time that those censors were
chopping story and posture they must have been shaking their heads at
this three dimensional art, and wondering if they had already lost the
war — and if they won, what for?
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
14 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Excellent, 6 November 2000
Author:
artzau from Sacramento, CA
This film was Kurasawa's big splash. The story based on the legends of Shiro Sakata, Jigoro Kano's (the founder of Kodokan Judo) bad boy is told with the art that only Kurasawa could muster. Fantastic camera work, tense and controlled action and done when Japan was losing the war. The film was competently remade in the early 60's with Mifune and Koyama. But, Koyama could not capture the simple intensity of Fujita in the original title role. A great monument to one of the greatest directors of all times, this film must be seen more than once to be thoroughly enjoyed.
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
AN EARLY MASTERPIECE? NOT QUITE BUT..., 27 November 2001
Author:
quinolas
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Kurosawa's first feature. It is an action film but not of the samurai genre.
Nevertheless we can already notice Kurosawa's outstanding use of editing
techniques that give an amazing sense of movement and speed to the judo
fight sequences. He will later develop these techniques to greater effects
in more famous films such as Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood and Yojimbo.
Two sequences are particularly remarkable. The first one occurs at the
beginning of the film. Members of a rival jujitsu school, which Sanshiro had
joined that night, ambush Yano, the founder of Judo. Even though
outnumbered, Yano manages to throw all his opponents in the river nearby.
Whereas the camera focusing on the gang pans continuously and is almost
always in motion, the shots of Yano waiting for them to attack are always
static. This contrast in shots suggests Yano's fighting skill superiority as
well as a greater physical and mental control of himself. Sugata is
impressed and rapidly helps Yano to pull the rickshaw left abandoned by its
owner. For this, he gets rid of his geta shoes. They leave but the camera is
fixed on the shoes. We see them getting worn out (bystanders kick them, a
dog bites them, rain & snow fall on them). Eventually we see one of the
shoes stuck on a grille.
The next sequence starts with a crane shot of a narrow street where Sugata
is seen surrounded by a threatening crowd. He moves frantically backs and
forwards throwing people to the ground. He is now a judo master. We have not
seen his training, but the shoes sequence has provided a metaphor of this
achievement, suggesting that Sugata has been through a painful and tough
training. Even though he is learned the judo techniques he has not achieved
the mastery of Yano. He lacks the restraint and coolness of Yano. His
fighting resembles that of the members of the jujitsu gang who had attacked
his master previously. The next sequence shows Yano telling him that he
lacks control over his emotions, he has achieved some a physical skill but
not a spiritual one.
The next sequence I would like to talk about occurs at the end of the film.
Sugata is seen having dinner with Hansuke Murai, played by Shimura Takashi
and whom Sugata had previously defeated in combat, and his daughter Sayo who
is very fond of Sugata. The dinner is interrupted by the abrupt appearance
of Gennosuke Higaki, a jujitsu fighter wearing western clothes and smoking
cigarettes, who challenges Sugata to a duel to death. Higaki's entrance is
accompanied by wind. Wind is used as a metaphor for the threatening West.
This motif will be later used in Yojimbo for the arrival of Tatsuya Nakadai
carrying a revolver to the town (a sign of Western power). This is the only
suggestion made in the film pointing at Japan being at war, even though it
was made for war propaganda. The scene then moves to the actual duel, which
takes place on a hillside. The wind is still blowing and clouds are seen
passing really fast above their heads. Kurosawa's use of weather to
complement the feelings of the characters is outstanding and will become of
his trademarks later in his career.
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
a kind of prototype for Kurosawa's future films, aside from being a fine debut, 26 May 2007
Author:
MisterWhiplash from United States
There's a great small scene about ten to fifteen minutes into Sanshiro
Sugata where the young and inexperienced Sugata, who has just gotten
into a turbulent street-fight, is told by a judo instructor- the one he
wants to be his instructor- that he has no humanity, at least not to be
fighting Judo, and that giving judo skills to one without humanity is
"like giving a knife to a lunatic." Did Akira Kurosawa know that one of
his paramount concerns as a filmmaker would be to tell stories where
characters were faced with this problem, of either gaining appropriate
humanity, or losing it, or having the difficult but rewarding task of
embracing it for him/herself? Probably not exactly, at the least that
his other end of the career spectrum- Madadayo- would be precisely
concerned with this ideal, of a man having to deal with self worth, and
the skills that one's been given in life properly and with humility
(and, in essence, Kurosawa himself as a director). But it's of
interesting note, at least in the scope of his first film, Sanshiro
Sugata (Judo Saga), which contains many of the trademarks of a Kurosawa
film, and at the same time the fiery passion, if only in big spurts, of
a filmmaker right on the edge of a career for Toho studios.
There are little notes to take for Kurosawa fans, little things that
will give many a grin and even a laugh at what pops up: the classic
"wipes" as means of scene transitions; the usage of slow-motion during
an action/fight sequence, in this case at the end of a fight as the
opponent conks out and the flag (this part in slow-motion) falls to the
ground; Takashi Shimura, who appeared in more Kurosawa films than
Mifune, as one of Sugata's opponents, who's a tough cookie but a fair
fight who at the end gives Sugata praise as a great fighter; symbolism
in usage of the sky, flowers, and other Earthly means as a way to
communicate the environment of a scene, and a specific nature about it,
as much as the characters in it. All the same, this is not to say that
Sanshiro Sugata is exactly a masterwork right off the bat for the 32
year old filmmaker; the use of certain symbols, like when Sugata is in
the mucky pond trying to have his own form of penance and snaps out of
it once seeing a flower right in front of his face, isn't really as
effective as intended and comes off as more of a cliché than anything
else. The subplot with Sugata and the daughter is undercooked as
romance, even as brief as it is. And the fact that the film now stands
as missing 17 minutes is a hindrance; one has to comment on what
remains as opposed to what could have been a complete work from
Kurosawa (not as detrimental as the Idiot, but still bothersome all the
same as in the title-card transitions).
But as an act of passionate action film-making, it stands its ground
some 60+ years later in containing some intense scenes involving
Sugata's training (I liked seeing Sugata coming face to face with a man
who wants to challenge his boss, and dressed in more Western garb than
anyone else in the film), and more specifically the actual fight
scenes. While its a given that Kurosawa is a pro at getting down
stubborn men- and professional traditionalist men for that matter-
getting down and dirty and violent, it's impressive in hindsight from
the rest of his career that he could add tension just by tilting the
camera up during the street-fight, or in staying on the faces of the
fighters, and numerous reaction shots, during the fights in the arena
area. The Shimura fight especially has an aura of being as thrilling as
a modern fight sequence, with aforementioned humanity coming through
with every pummel and thrust and toss-up of one character over another.
This all leads up to the climax, which is not only a highlight of the
film but a highlight in the history of classic Japanese action
sequences, as we see Kurosawa already relying on the sky, the grass
pushed and pulled by wind, and the compassion of the others around the
two opponents (the old man and the girl) as a fight to the death, seen
mostly out of sight through the grass, proceeds intensely more due to
the intent and emotion of the characters than traditional stunts and
fast-pace editing.
Sanshiro Sugata is a worthy production in the cinematic cannon of
Kurosawa, acting as a very good stand-alone effort for genre fans while
speaking to his practically intuitive cinematic strengths at
controlling the pace of a scene and meaning via certain visual cues and
enjoyable performances garnered by the pro actors. It does show some of
its age, and along with the cuts made in the only version available
today (in a print, by the way, that is rather horrid considering who
the director is) it had to face some given restrictions due to Japan's
censorship laws, but it's also a cunning display of a debut showcasing
the talents of a confident director in a film that was meant to be seen
by a mass audience, if only for diversion during the war.
9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
A master piece... one of the greatest., 14 July 2007
Author:
(ateeqimran@yahoo.com) from India
I had never heard of Akira Kurosava. I didn't know anything about
Japanese B/W films at all!.
And it proved a blessing for me as I watched this movie without even so
much as battling an eyelid. Growing amazed an appreciative at the same
time.
There is a strange kind of stillness in Kurosava's direction. Not the
stillness to make you impatient but the stillness to make you feel the
beauty of the moment, to get inside the character's mind.
It's a story about a lad who is headstrong but learns the truth of life
along the way.
It's a movie about Judo and Jujitsu. It's a movie about budding love.
It's a movie about a student and a great master. And it's a movie about
Kurosava's greatness.
You can watch it for any reason and you'll not be disappointed. I wish
all those movie makers of senseless violence, learn something from this
one... while I find ways to get my hands on another of Kurosava's
master pieces.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Outstanding from Akira, 2 July 2000
Author:
Ethan Kaye from Pennsylvania
Sugata sanshiro is a wonderful feel-good film. It's tough to say that about a movie with martial arts where violence abounds, but Kurosawa's subtle approach to character development and mood carry this film above and beyond. Even those who don't look for the art in films will see the beauty of this direction. The definition of characters is difficult to follow in the early scenes, but Susumu Fujita does a marvelous job with his portrayal of an-unsure judo student. Definitely a film that deserves your full attention.
5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Outstanding from Akira, 2 July 2000
Author:
Ethan Kaye from Pennsylvania
Sugata sanshiro is a wonderful feel-good film. It's tough to say that about a movie with martial arts where violence abounds, but Kurosawa's subtle approach to character development and mood carry this film above and beyond. Even those who don't look for the art in films will see the beauty of this direction. The definition of characters is difficult to follow in the early scenes, but Susumu Fujita does a marvelous job with his portrayal of an-unsure judo student. Definitely a film that deserves your full attention.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Shows the early visual story-telling talent of Kurosawa, 11 May 2000
Author:
ButaNiShinju from Japan
For 1942 (before the Pacific war actually started for Japan) one is struck by the modernity of technique, the adventurous way the film is visually narrated. The story is admittedly pretty creaky, but not unenjoyable. Interestingly, the evil characters are in Western clothes, whereas the wholesome good guys are salt-of-the-earth Japanese style, portending the coming war of values with the West.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Spiffing debut, 3 May 2010
Author:
GyatsoLa from Ireland
From the very first shot of this very first Kurosawa film, you know you
are in good hands. What seems like a standard moving shot is revealed
to be the subjective viewpoint of the future hero, Sugata. From here,
the film proceeds at a fast clip (aided by some crude chopping done by
contemporary censors) to set what proved to be the blueprint for the
Asian action flick. And frankly, few future films have improved on it.
Kurosawas imaginative camera work and brilliant editing keeps the whole
thing very watchable and the subtlety of the character development is
still well in advance of the typical modern action film. The famous
scene where Sugata finds himself stuck in a muddy pond, trying to find
some sort of enlightenment is still fascinating and beautiful. And
typically, the film ends with an amazing fight scene - the fight
choreography might be primitive by todays standards, but the glorious
moonlit mountain top scenery is still thrilling - its been imitated
numerous times, but why watch the imitators when the original is still
best? You can of course say this about pretty much any Kurosawa film.
I saw this on the Australian Mad Men DVD. The print quality is pretty
poor and the translation isn't great. And it would have been nice if
they had done more work to reconstruct the original cut - some deleted
scenes are added as extras. I suspect the original Kurosawa cut was
much better, sadly, we may never see it.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
The first step to mastery, 7 April 2010
Author:
Luis Guillermo Cardona from Colombia
The modernization of Japan began with the Meiji era in 1867. Mutsuhito,
who proclaimed himself Emperor Meiji (loyalty to the rule) to ascend
the throne, began a series of significant changes included the
abolition of privileges, granted the right to wear a name (hitherto
exclusive to samurai and the nobility) and opened the voting for the
election of governors, among other measures that began the decline of
more than 250 years of feudalism, to make way for the Meiji democracy
would go until 1912, and that would open the way for Japan to begin to
become a society, certainly more balanced.
Sugata Sanshiro proudly carries his name. Man of the people, attending
a school of Jiu Jitsu, a martial art which derive Judo, a risky way to
debug the techniques, paradoxically, called "art of softness". But when
he meets the skill of the master judoka Yano, Sanshiro decides to
become his student and then faced the challenges that will give him a
place in the new institute.
What follows then are the circumstances of life that prove the man to
his ideals and give opportunity to specify the strength of their
inclinations. For it is with chiselases which are polished gems and it
is with fire that demonstrates the strength of the metal. But there are
things that weigh in man, as love is born and who never wants to hurt,
and then, when man is forced to the difficult choice between self-
interest or what benefits the group.
I think, "Sugata Sanshiro", was a good start for the master Kurosawa.
The film denotes human sense, defending the rules and the collective
interest, as it should be, but also understands the meaning of love and
compassion, and rejoices as they deserve. The director shows fairly
distanced with the scenes of violence, and although I'm sure weighed
and weighed now more than ever, this gives a clear account of its
central goal was the feeling and no physical force. After all, is in
being and not in the domination, as a man can know himself, and as the
teacher Yano says:"The way is the search for truth that governs the
nature of man, as this is what will give us a peaceful death."
It must have been that this first film was well received at the box
office since, two years later, the third Akira Kurosawa film, continue
the story with the title "Soku Sugata Sanshiro". There is only
regrettable that so valuable a work, with moments of undeniable beauty
plastic, and is committed to a positive outlook on life, Japan's clumsy
censorship of the time (¿perhaps there will not be clumsy censorship?),
has cut about 600 feet, which may never recover and leave the film in
some way unfinished.
Against all, I think any fan of the great Japanese filmmaker, should be
deprived of seeing this remarkable debut.
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