Sansho is one of Mizoguchi's most astounding achievements. 2 other masterpieces of his are Ugetsu (1953) and The Life of Oharu (1952). These 3 films were made late in Mizoguchi's career, shortly before his death in 1956.Sansho is possibly the most emotional, powerful and beautifully crafted film I have ever seen. I wept a lot after finishing it. It struck me deeply. I have reflected on why this is the case, and although words could not do this film justice, I still want to explain why I think this film is so powerful.
Based on a tale by 20th century writer Ogai Mori, Sansho is an historical film set in the Heian period (794-1184) of Japan. The film is ultimately about the miraculous, unending survival of love and morality in the face of societal oppression and evil. Societal pressures are shown to be mostly unfair and reprehensible in Sansho. But the goodness of a few characters manages to shine through, in spite of insurmountable odds. There is thus a tension created between societal oppression and individual morality. This is a universal theme that will resonate with many people to this day. Another Japanese director who is deeply concerned with the value of individual morality in the face of unfair societal norms is Masaki Kobayashi, who made such films as Harakiri (1962) and Samurai Rebellion (1967).
Sansho the Bailiff is the main villain in the film and is unusually who the film is named after. Sansho is a slave owner who embodies the wider immorality of the feudal society in which the film is set. This, of course, is a theme relevant to this day. Most people throughout history have been governed by immoral power structures and unfair rulers. However, Mizoguchi doesn't portray such a theme simplistically.
At the beginning of the film, we are introduced to a virtuous governor. This governor tells his son Zushio, who becomes one of the protagonists of the film, "Without mercy man is like a beast. Even if you are hard on yourself, be merciful to others". This message endures to the end of the film, even when Zushio falters and temporarily forgets it. The virtue of this governor is also recognised by a Chief Advisor, from Kyoto, later in the film. We thus find that those in power aren't always evil, painting a nuanced picture of societal oppression and humanity. Such nuance is utterly vital to an effective story, for nothing in reality is binary or one-dimensional.
Mizoguchi was renowned for long, gliding takes in deep focus, approximating the effect of classic scroll paintings prevalent in Japanese culture. Sansho and Ugetsu seem to exemplify this form of filmmaking and I would imagine these films had an influence on such directors as Kobayashi, Michelangelo Antonioni and Stanley Kubrick. Ugetsu certainly influenced Tarkovsky.What I find to be one of the most important elements of Japanese cinema and culture is the way that empty space and silence is valued just as much as action and sound. What is left out of a scene is just as important as what is put in. This approach makes many Japanese films incredibly powerful and, maybe, "anti-sensational". The impact of a scene is rendered more resonant as half of it is left unsaid. The filmgoer therefore has to fill in and engage more with what is hapenning. There is an element of mystery in this approach, as though some phenomena can't be fully described and articulated, but have to be felt and intuited. Mizoguchi is one of the proponents of this approach and this is what helps Sansho attain such an emotional force. The beautiful scene where Anju descends into a lake is perhaps the most fitting example of this.
Though there is a lot of suffering and tribulation throughout Sansho, the final scene manages to be tragically positive and somehow life-affirming. In truth, I don't think the same can be said of Mizoguchi's The Life of Oharu. Sansho thoroughly communicates to us that in some cases, despite all possible odds, love and morality will eternally endure, even if such endurance has a staggeringly painful side to it.
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