Sansho
the Bailiff is a remarkable period drama adapted by the “Sansho the Steward”
stories by Ogai Mori. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi in post-WWII Japan
The
film follows the trials and tribulations of a governor’s family after he makes
the mistake of disobeying the reigning feudal lord by acting on his own
conscience. Before he is cast into exile, he speaks a few profound words of
wisdom to his son. Among other things, he says, “Without mercy, man is like a
beast,” leaving us with the religious and moral subtext for the remainder of
the film. When his wife and children attempt to find the exiled governor, they
are instead captured and sold into slavery. The slave traders separate the
mother from her children, who spend the remainder of the film trying to find a
way back together.
The
brutality of the film comes with the fact that each act the family members take
to reunite simple wrenches them further apart, until fewer and fewer remain for
the reunion. The Buddhist ideology is easily found in the way the family
members selflessly think of others before themselves. The father sacrifices for
the family, the mother for the children and the sister for the brother. It is a
never-ending cycle of giving, though the bitter-sweet element of their nature
comes with the nature of the world surrounding them. Though they are selfless
and good, this is often not nearly enough to overcome the despicable nature of
those around them, specifically Sansho the Bailiff, who has no hesitation in
brutally punishing slaves so that they behave.
The
Blu-ray release of this complex classic has a presentation in high definition,
through new digital restoration. There is also an optional audio commentary
track featuring Japanese-literature scholar Jeffrey Angles and interviews with
select crew members. The highlight of the package, however, may not be on the
disc. The booklet insert has an essay by scholar Mark Le Fanu, paired with two
versions of the story which the film is based on.
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