Sanshiro Sugata
Encyclopedia
was the directorial debut of the Academy Award-winning Japanese film director
Akira Kurosawa
. First released in Japan on 25 March 1943 by Toho
film studios, the film was eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Tsuneo Tomita, the son of prominent judoka Tsunejirō Tomita
. It follows the story of Sanshiro, a strong stubborn youth, who travels into the city in order to learn Jujutsu
. However, upon his arrival he discovers a new form of self-defence: Judo
. The main character is based on Saigō Shirō.
The film is seen as an early example of Kurosawa's immediate grasp of the film-making process, and includes many of his directorial trademarks, such as the use of wipes, weather patterns as reflections of character moods, and abruptly changing camera speeds. The film itself was quite influential at the time, and has been remade on no less than five occasions. It spawned a sequel, Sanshiro Sugata Part II
, which was released in 1945 and also directed by Kurosawa.
After the initial release, Japanese censor
s trimmed the film by 17 minutes. This footage was never recovered; however, the original script with the missing material still exists. The 2009 Criterion
DVD opens with: "This film has been modified from the original version of Akira Kurosawa's debut film, which opened in 1943, without consulting the director or the production staff. 1,845 feet of footage was cut in 1944 to comply with the government's wartime entertainment policies."
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
. First released in Japan on 25 March 1943 by Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
film studios, the film was eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Tsuneo Tomita, the son of prominent judoka Tsunejirō Tomita
Tsunejiro Tomita
, born , was the earliest disciple of judo. His name appears in the first line of the enrollment book of the Kōdōkan. Tomita, together with Saigō Shirō, became first in history of judo to be awarded black belt grade by the founder of judo Kanō Jigorō, who established the ranking system...
. It follows the story of Sanshiro, a strong stubborn youth, who travels into the city in order to learn Jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
. However, upon his arrival he discovers a new form of self-defence: Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
. The main character is based on Saigō Shirō.
The film is seen as an early example of Kurosawa's immediate grasp of the film-making process, and includes many of his directorial trademarks, such as the use of wipes, weather patterns as reflections of character moods, and abruptly changing camera speeds. The film itself was quite influential at the time, and has been remade on no less than five occasions. It spawned a sequel, Sanshiro Sugata Part II
Sanshiro Sugata Part II
is a 1945 film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is based on the novel by Tsuneo Tomita.It was filmed in early 1945 in Japan towards the end of World War II....
, which was released in 1945 and also directed by Kurosawa.
Production
Following 5 years of second unit director work on films such as Uma and Roppa's Honeymoon, Kurosawa was finally given the go-ahead to direct his first film, even though he himself claimed that, in films like Uma, "I had been so much in charge of production I had felt like the director". After hearing of a new novel from the writer Tomita Tsuneo, Kurosawa decided the project was for him and asked film producer Iwao Mori to buy the rights for him. According to renowned Kurosawa scholar Donald Richie, the reason Kurosawa was allowed to direct the film was because he had had two film scripts printed, including one of which had won the education minister's prize. However, his work was too far away from the government requirements for a wartime film. Tomita's novel, on the other hand, was considered "safe", dealing, as it did, with a Japanese subject such as the rivalry between judo and jujitsu, was a period piece, and was a popularist subject. Kurosawa deliberately went out to make a "movie-like movie", as he knew he would not be able to insert any particularly didactic qualities in the film.After the initial release, Japanese censor
Censor
Censor may refer to:*Censorship, the control of speech and other forms of human expression*Roman censor, a magistrate for maintaining the census, supervising public morality, etc*Cato Censor , Roman statesman...
s trimmed the film by 17 minutes. This footage was never recovered; however, the original script with the missing material still exists. The 2009 Criterion
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...
DVD opens with: "This film has been modified from the original version of Akira Kurosawa's debut film, which opened in 1943, without consulting the director or the production staff. 1,845 feet of footage was cut in 1944 to comply with the government's wartime entertainment policies."
Themes
The central theme of the film is the education and initiation of Sugata and the way in which, whilst learning the ways of Judo, he also learns about himself. The film's central scene concerning this theme is when, after being accosted by Yano for getting involved in a streetfight, Sugata leaps into the cold waters near Yano's temple and stays there in order to show his master his dedication, and the fact that he is neither afraid to live nor to die.Cast
- Denjirô ÔkôchiDenjirō Ōkōchiwas a Japanese film actor most famous for starring roles in jidaigeki directed by such masters as Akira Kurosawa, Daisuke Itō, Sadao Yamanaka, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Hiroshi Inagaki and Masahiro Makino. His real name was Masuo Ōbe...
… Shogoro Yano - Susumu FujitaSusumu Fujitawas a Japanese film and television actor. He played the lead role in Akira Kurosawa's first feature, Sanshiro Sugata, and appeared other Kurosawa film including The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail and The Hidden Fortress . Later, he was a supporting actor in Ishirō Honda's Mothra vs...
… Sanshiro Sugata - Yukiko TodorokiYukiko TodorokiYukiko Todoroki was a Japanese actress. Her real name was Tsuruko Nishiyama. She also participated in the Takarazuka Revue. At Takarazuka, she was known not by her real name, but by the stage name Toruko . Her birthplace was Shinbori, Azabu-ku in Tokyo. Her two ex-husbands were film directors...
… Sayo Murai - Ryunosuke TsukigataRyūnosuke Tsukigatawas a Japanese actor known especially for his work in jidaigeki in film and television. His real name was Kiyoto Monden.-Career:Born in Miyagi Prefecture, Tsukigata entered the actor's school at Nikkatsu in 1920, but earned his first starring role working at Shōzō Makino's studio in 1924...
… Gennosuke Higaki - Takashi ShimuraTakashi Shimurawas a Japanese actor.He was born in Ikuno, Hyogo, Japan.His debut as actor was the film Akanishi Kakita and cast in the Kenji Mizoguchi's film Osaka Elegy ....
… Hansuke Murai - Ranko Hanai… Osumi Kodana
- Sugisaku Aoyama… Tsunetami Iimura
- Ichirô Sugai… Police Chief Mishima
- Yoshio Kosugi… Master Saburo Kodama
- Kokuten Kodo… Buddhist Priest
- Michisaburo Segawa… Wada
- Akitake Kôno… Yoshima Dan
- Shôji Kiyokawa… Yujiro Toda
- Kunio Mita… Kohei Tsuzaki
- Akira Nakamura… Toranosuki Niiseki
- Eisaburo Sakauchi… Nemeto
- Hajime Hikari… Torakichi
Remakes
Sanshiro Sugata has been remade five times since it was initially released, although these versions are even harder to find in "the West" than the original. The 1955 and 1965 versions share the script of the original versions, whereas the subsequent three releases are all based on the novel rather than Kurosawa's screenplay.- Sugata Sanshiro (1955) - Directed by Shigeo Tanaka
- Sugata Sanshiro (1965) - Directed by Seiichiro Uchikawa
- Ninkyô yawara ichidai (1966) - Directed by Sadao NakajimaSadao Nakajimais a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his work in yakuza film and jidaigeki.-Career:Born in Chiba Prefecture, he attended Hibiya High School and then the University of Tokyo before joining the Tōei studio in 1959...
- Sugata Sanshiro (1970) - Directed by Kunio Watanabe
- Sugata Sanshiro (1977) - Directed by Kihachi OkamotoKihachi Okamotowas a Japanese film director who has worked in several different genres, including jidaigeki.-Career:Born in Yonago, Okamoto attended Meiji University, but was drafted in 1943 and entered World War II during its most difficult hours, an experience that had a profound effect on his later film work,...
External links
- Sanshiro Sugata at the Japanese Movie DatabaseJapanese Movie DatabaseThe , commonly referred to as JMDB, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, but lists only those films originally released in Japan. The site was started in 1997, and contains movies from Meiji...
- "Sanshiro Sugata": Kurosawa's Elegy for the Reluctant Kamikaze at Bright Lights Film JournalBright Lights Film JournalBright Lights Film Journal is an online popular-academic film magazine, with a left-leaning critical orientation, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is edited and published by Gary Morris....
.