A Saga do Judô

A movie which gets better as it goes along, this is essentially a story about judo matches and honor. The fight scenes are good, they have a good level of tension. You see some elements to Kurosawa's film making here, like pointing the camera up at the sky, that he has used to even greater effect since. There is a love story here too, in the character Cree's opponents daughter, Siu. My copy of this film left some to be desired, in that the subtitles are not perfect, and it is not a great transfer, but this film has been on IFC, and that is the more recommended way I suggest you see this film. Not perfect, but it holds your interest, and it is Kurosawa, which is enough of an endorsement to watch any film.

Sugata sanshiro is a wonderful feel-good film. It's tough to say that about a movie with martial arts where violence abounds, but Kurosawa's subtle approach to character development and mood carry this film above and beyond. Even those who don't look for the art in films will see the beauty of this direction. The definition of characters is difficult to follow in the early scenes, but Susumu Fujita does a marvelous job with his portrayal of an-unsure judo student. Definitely a film that deserves your full attention.

First and foremost, in order to appreciate this film, one must face the fact that it is largely incomplete, due to the censorship of the time. Having that into consideration, you will most likely enjoy the film for what it is. Besides, if you are acquainted with Kurosawa's work, then you should not doubt giving this a try.

The outstanding, mind-blowing camera-work that Kurosawa is known for is in a huge development process here, on account of this being his first work; however, even though not yet in a full-fledged form, everything that is meant to be portrayed comes through wonderfully. The story is another factor that definitely enhances the representation taking place in the film, as it matches perfectly with the cinematic techniques Kurosawa puts to work. If there are any inconveniences to be encountered throughout the course of the film, it would all obviously be as a result of the cut-off already mentioned.

The conspicuous acting goes without saying; everyone in the film fits into their roll perfectly. The main character may probably come as overacted to an audience not familiarized with Kurosawa's work, or Japanese cinema for that matter; Susuma Fujita would not be as well-known as Toshiro Mifune would later become, but he undoubtedly does his best here.

The film, despite the cut-off, works perfectly. One can just wonder how much better this could be if it were in its full form, as first conceived by the director.

"Sugata Sanshirô" (1943) is a masterpiece that inspired countless sequels and imitations glorifying martial arts practitioners and their quest for inner and outer perfection. The 91-minute restored film we know today is still missing important scenes. Here is a short history of that censorship.

According to a very interesting online article by Walter Klinger, the film was submitted to two distinct forms of censorship. First of all, during production, from government censors urging Kurosawa to make a film glorifying Japanese warriors and their spirit of devotion to "chuukou", i.e. "loyalty and devotion" understood as an infallible principle requiring absolute loyalty to one's superiors and blind obedience to orders (a principle that made Kamikaze pilots possible). In the pond scene, Sanshirô's master urges him to follow "chuukou" and after his nighttime revelation, Sanshirô bows obediently to his master.

In the post-war period, all references to this principle were outlawed by the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Forces (SCAF - the occupying Americans) as an anti-social remnant of Japanese feudalism which was perceived as the root cause of Japan's stubborn refusal to surrender. Not only was the "chuukou" word excised from that scene in mid-sentence (and never put back in, even in the "restored" version) but all subsequent editions of the novel the film was based on, even in animé or manga form or in film remakes and sequels, were also excised for the same reason, which means that the hero was reduced to finding "satori" in other more universal Zen sources or nuanced feelings, such as the love of his beloved, the realization of his own selfishness or respect for his master.

As post-war young Japanese people weren't particularly fond of "chuukou" to begin with, especially as it concerned blind devotion to tradition and unconditional loyalty to one's parents (or employers), this was not seen as a major problem.

The SCAF, however, also outlawed scenes of feudal loyalty, cruel violence and the "undemocratic idea of revenge", "feudal" commodities for which the Japanese public never really lost its tremendous appetite, and which eventually became the main themes of Yakuza, samurai and martial arts films. Furthermore, martial arts, including judo, with their stigma of "warrior's ways" and "blind obeisance", were also banned from government-sponsored settings like schools and police departments, until 1950, at the very time when they were conquering the rest of the civilized world, including America.

This film was Kurasawa's big splash. The story based on the legends of Shiro Sakata, Jigoro Kano's (the founder of Kodokan Judo) bad boy is told with the art that only Kurasawa could muster. Fantastic camera work, tense and controlled action and done when Japan was losing the war. The film was competently remade in the early 60's with Mifune and Koyama. But, Koyama could not capture the simple intensity of Fujita in the original title role. A great monument to one of the greatest directors of all times, this film must be seen more than once to be thoroughly enjoyed.