Sansho Dayu

Mizoguchi’s historical epic is among the greatest of all Japanese films, and a masterpiece of humanist cinema.

Among the greatest of all Japanese films, and a masterpiece of humanist cinema, Mizoguchi’s historical epic charts the vicissitudes faced by the family of a liberal bureaucrat who offends authority. The serene beauty of the imagery offsets the often painful drama in a work of noble ideals, superbly acted and elegantly shot, with one of the most breathtaking endings ever filmed.

Ranked joint 75th in the 2022 Sight and Sound Great Films of All Time poll.