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Sansho the Bailiff (Criterion Collection)

 

  Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi

Japan 1954 / Drama / Period /  Reunion Films / 124 min / Black & White / Monaural / 1.33: 1 / NTSC /  In Japanese with Optional  English Subtitles

Kinuyo Tanaka, Kyoko Kagawa, Eitaro Shindo , Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Ichiro Sugai , Masahiko Tsugawa, Ken Mitsuda .

When an idealistic governor disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife and children left to fend for themselves and eventually wrenched apart by vicious slave traders. Under Kenji Mizoguchi’s dazzling direction, this classic Japanese story became one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces, a monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil.

 
       

Bonus Features:

New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Audio commentary by Japanese-literature professor Jeffrey Angles
New video interviews with critic Tadao Sato, assistant director Tokuzo Tanaka, and legendary actress Kyoko Kagawa on the making of the film and its lasting importance
New and improved English subtitle translation