Sansho Dayu

Trailer (QuickTime Video) for Sansho Dayu (1954, directed by Kenji Mizuguchi). "...Based on an ancient legend, as recounted by celebrated author Mori Ogai (in his short story of the same name, written in 1915), and adapted by Japanese director Mizoguchi Kenji, Sansho Dayu is both distinctively Japanese and as deeply affecting as a Greek tragedy. Described in its opening title as 'one of the oldest and most tragic in Japan’s history,' Mizoguchi depicts an unforgettably sad story of social injustice, family love, personal sacrifice, and fateful tragedy."