Sanshiro Sugata (姿三四郎, Sugata Sanshirō?, aka Judo Saga) was the directorial debut of the Oscar-winning Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa. It was first released in Japan on 25 March 1943 by Toho film studios, eventually being released in the United States on 28 April 1974 and is based on the novel of the same name by Tsuneo 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 Shiro Saigo, a legendary judoka.[1].
Although not the most famous entry in Kurosawa's canon, 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. The film itself was quite influential at the time, and has been remade on no less than five occasions. It was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Sanshiro Sugata Part II, which was released in 1945.
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.
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
Susumu Fujita as Sanshiro Sugata
- Denjirô Ôkôchi… Shogoro Yano
- Susumu Fujita… Sanshiro Sugata
- Yukiko Todoroki… Sayo Murai
- Ryunosuke Tsukigata… Gennosuke Higaki
- Takashi Shimura… 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
Edited Versions and DVD Releases
Sanshiro Sugata was originally released with a length of 97 minutes in Japan in 1943. However, on its post-war reissue in 1952 (by which time Kurosawa had become a world renowned director), it was issued as a shorter 80 minute version, which saw some changes to the film's structure as well as its running time[2].
Sanshiro Sugata has not previously been available in the DVD format in the U.S. (region 1). The Criterion Collection will import the film and its 1945 sequel as part of the DVD box set "AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa," to be released Dec. 8, 2009.[3] DVD versions exist in China, France and Australia.
Parts 1 and 2 were shown consecutively on the American cable TV channel IFC on April 5, 2009. Part 1 ran 80 minutes and Part 2 81 minutes.
It had been available to stream for free from the internet after a Japanese Court ruling in July 2006 that all films produced prior to 1953 were to be made available to the public domain.[clarification needed][4]
However, in 2007 the Tokyo District court ruled that all Akira Kurosawa films remain copyrighted until 2036.[5]
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 [A Brave Generous Era] (1966) - Directed by Sadao Nakajima
- Sugata Sanshiro (1970) - Directed by Kunio Watanabe
- Sugata Sanshiro (1977) - Directed by Kihachi Okamoto
References
External links
