Principal cast
Kinuyo Tanaka as Tamaki, Yoshiaki Hanayagi as Zushiô, Kyōko Kagawa as Anju, Eitarō Shindō as Sanshô dayû, and Ichirō Sugai as Minister of Justice
Film 155 of 244 on the Screen Path
Sansho the Bailiff
Without mercy, man is like a beast.
About the film
Sansho the Bailiff at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1954 film at stop 155 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
In 11th-century feudal Japan, following the exile of an idealistic governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders; the children, Zushio and Anju, are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho.
Key craft credits
Kazuo Miyagawa (director of photography), Mitsuzō Miyata (editor), Fumio Hayasaka (original music composer), Kanahichi Odera (original music composer), and Tamekichi Mochizuki (original music composer)
- Director
- Kenji Mizoguchi
- Release
- 1954-03-31
- Runtime
- 124 minutes
- Genres
- Drama
- Country
- Japan
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
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