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Sugata Sanshiro (1943) More at IMDbPro »

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13 out of 13 people found the following comment 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.

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
AN EARLY MASTERPIECE? NOT QUITE BUT..., 27 November 2001
7/10
Author: quinolas

*** This comment 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.

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9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent, 6 November 2000
9/10
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.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
a kind of prototype for Kurosawa's future films, aside from being a fine debut, 26 May 2007
8/10
Author: JackGattanella 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.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment 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.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
A master piece... one of the greatest., 14 July 2007
10/10
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.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment 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.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Shows the early visual story-telling talent of Kurosawa, 11 May 2000
7/10
Author: adrian tanovic 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.

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Small tribute to a director of great movies., 12 June 1999
10/10
Author: Josef K.-2 from Detroit, Michigan

Sugata Sanshiro, like any film Akira Kurosawa was even remotely involved with, is flawless. Consider the direction of the tournament fights, or the keen eye the camera has for brilliant imagery. There is a subtle grace that builds within all of his movies, and it is this grace which underlines what he was as a director. Legend.

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Martial arts masterpiece..., 14 March 2009
10/10
Author: poe426 from USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

From the opening subjective tracking shot (from Sugata's point of view, with the voices of children raised in song over it), it's clear that this isn't just another run-of-the-mill martial arts movie; in fact, most of the martial arts movies that followed SANSHIRO SUGATA used Akira Kurosawa's movie as template. It's all here: the crude but tough newcomer who wanders into town, the rival schools (jujitsu vs. judo), the sensei who takes the upstart under his wing after first displaying his own (considerable) prowess- and the menacing rival the hero must face by film's end. Unlike most such movies, SANSHIRO SUGATA offers the viewer a hero whose spiritual development is paramount. The SAMURAI trilogy with Toshiro Mifune would later delve even deeper into the spiritual development of the hero, but Kurosawa was there first. Even when Fujita as the judoka faces off against the father of the woman he may or may not love (the father is played by the stalwart Takashi Shimura), the grappling is handled in a unique manner: the two men clutch at one another's gi and literally dance about the mats, and we can hear their labored breathing as they struggle, but it isn't until the father has tried several sweeps that Sugata throws him for the first time. Earlier in the movie, we saw Sugata kill an opponent by tossing him head-first into a wall and breaking his neck (and we also saw him bullying a crowd in a scene that quite clearly establishes that this is a man of great strength and considerable skill). Now, he throws the old man a good ten feet; the old man rises, with difficulty, only to be thrown again; the third time, after very, very slowly getting to his feet (he lays on his side, unmoving, for quite some time before rising), Sugata throws him a good fifteen feet. The old man has to be carried off. Sugata follows, almost apologetic, concerned for the old man, and ends up nursing him back to health. The final bout takes place on a wind-swept mountainside, and the fast-moving clouds overhead cause the moonlit landscape itself to strobe. It's a fantastic finale. For a first film, SANSHIRO SUGATA is nigh unbeatable. It's technically sound (it's hard to believe that it was actually made during the second World War) and includes Kurosawa's trademark transition (the wipe) throughout. The print I have is composed (apparently) of two separate prints, one of which is not very good- but that it exists at all is nothing less than a movie-making miracle.

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