Sansho the Bailiff
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Year Released: 1954
Rating: 4.0
After the downfall of a just governor, his wife and children are left on their own and quickly separated: his wife becomes a courtesan while his son and daughter become slaves to the title tyrant. Though it begins slowly, the power is in the build-up, as it seems the kids are victims of horrible luck - when a change of luck unexpectedly kicks in, the question of how 'just' revenge is comes into play. Morally complex and aesthetically gorgeous - and though I haven't seen them all, most likely one of Mizoguchi's greatest films - it's also unbearably sad, and leaves only a tiny space for redemption. This pessimism might weigh down and cripple a lesser film, but this picture earns its melancholy.
