In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
See the trailers we loved this week, including horror thriller The Hunt and the new season of "Succession."
Related News
-
Carlos Reygadas’ 10 Favorite Films
25 June 2019 | The Film Stage -
Blu-ray Review: Criterion Collection's A Story From Chikamatsu
08 January 2019 | Screen Anarchy -
Japan Society Presents Kazuo Miyagawa, Japan’s Greatest Cinematographer
07 March 2018 | AsianMoviePulse
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
2 wins & 1 nomination.
See more awards »
Learn more
More Like This
Ugetsu
(1953)
Drama
|
Fantasy
|
War
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Stars:
Masayuki Mori,
Machiko Kyô,
Kinuyo Tanaka
The Life of Oharu
(1952)
Drama
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Stars:
Kinuyo Tanaka,
Tsukie Matsuura,
Ichirô Sugai
A Story from Chikamatsu
(1954)
Drama
|
History
|
Romance
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Stars:
Kazuo Hasegawa,
Kyôko Kagawa,
Eitarô Shindô
Street of Shame
(1956)
Drama
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Stars:
Machiko Kyô,
Aiko Mimasu,
Ayako Wakao
Woman in the Dunes
(1964)
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
Hiroshi Teshigahara
Stars:
Eiji Okada,
Kyôko Kishida,
Hiroko Itô
A Geisha
(1953)
Drama
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Stars:
Michiyo Kogure,
Ayako Wakao,
Seizaburô Kawazu
Harakiri
(1962)
Action
|
Drama
|
History
Director:
Masaki Kobayashi
Stars:
Tatsuya Nakadai,
Akira Ishihama,
Shima Iwashita
Sisters of the Gion
(1936)
Drama
Director:
Kenji Mizoguchi
Stars:
Isuzu Yamada,
Yôko Umemura,
Benkei Shiganoya
Samurai Rebellion
(1967)
Drama
Director:
Masaki Kobayashi
Stars:
Toshirô Mifune,
Yôko Tsukasa,
Gô Katô
Late Spring
(1949)
Drama
Director:
Yasujirô Ozu
Stars:
Chishû Ryû,
Setsuko Hara,
Yumeji Tsukioka
Drama
|
War
Director:
Masaki Kobayashi
Stars:
Tatsuya Nakadai,
Michiyo Aratama,
Chikage Awashima
The Sword of Doom
(1966)
Action
|
Drama
Director:
Kihachi Okamoto
Stars:
Tatsuya Nakadai,
Michiyo Aratama,
Yûzô Kayama
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kinuyo Tanaka | ... | Tamaki | |
| Yoshiaki Hanayagi | ... | Zushiô | |
| Kyôko Kagawa | ... | Anju | |
| Eitarô Shindô | ... | Sanshô dayû | |
 |
Akitake Kôno | ... | Taro |
|
|
Masao Shimizu | ... | Masauji Taira |
|
|
Ken Mitsuda | ... | Prime Minister Fujiwara |
|
|
Kazukimi Okuni | ... | Norimura |
| Yôko Kosono | ... | Kohagi | |
|
|
Kimiko Tachibana | ... | Namiji |
| Ichirô Sugai | ... | Minister of Justice | |
|
|
Teruko Ômi | ... | Nakagimi |
|
|
Masahiko Tsugawa | ... | Young Zushio (as Masahiko Katô) |
| Keiko Enami | ... | Young Anju | |
|
|
Bontarô Akemi | ... | Kichiji |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
In mediaeval Japan a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression. Written by David Levene <D.S.Levene@durham.ac.uk>
Taglines:
A film of unparalleled beauty by the great Japanese Master Kenji MizoguchiGenres:
DramaParents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
JapanLanguage:
JapaneseRelease Date:
1955 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Sansho the Bailiff See more »Filming Locations:
JapanCompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Kenji Mizoguchi left the composer alone to do the music. He also did that before in his previous films Ugetsu Monogatari as much as Chikamatsu Monogatari. See more »Quotes
Taro: Even children as young as you are sold and bought, treated like animals, and nobody questions it. What a horrible world.See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Explore popular action and adventure titles available to stream with Prime Video.
The first time I saw this film was when I was in university. It impressed me greatly then. Watching it again recently invoked the same emotion - I was deeply saddened by the horrific acts one human can do to the other. And guess what, a century later the human race has not really advanced that much in this area.
While the film also highlights the noble side of us - compassion and mercy to the weak, maintenance of integrity amid suffering - it is the downside of it that gets me. I finished the movie feeling depressed, as I did several decades ago.
Super B/W photography, a good story, and masterly directing by Mizoguchi make this a classic film of all time. Find an evening when you yearn for artistic fulfillment, and yet are prepared to pay an emotional price for it. Highly recommended for the serious film buffs.