Akira Kurosawa
Sugata Sanshiro

Often when looking at a director’s career, minor films, missteps, and early films are forgotten. However, it is an interesting exercise to step away from the masterpieces and pay attention to works less regarded by the public and critics. Kurosawa is certainly the most important, influential, and well-known Japanese director here in Europe: in fact, generally, when thinking of Japanese cinema, his films are those that immediately come to mind. His filmography includes numerous great films that range from contemporary tales to reflections on feudal Japan.

"Sugata Sanshiro" is the director’s first work, having previously worked only as an assistant director or screenwriter. The film is set in the nineteenth century and tells the story of Sugata Sanshiro, a young man who comes to the city to learn Jujutsu. Here, while attending a match with Judo master Shogoro Yano, he decides to follow the latter in the study of martial arts. He will manage to earn the master's respect and eventually become a great Judoka, challenging the master of the opposing school.

The plot of the film is quite simple and is based on a true story: the character of Sanshiro is inspired by a real wrestler, Shiro Saigo, who was a student of Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) and one of the greatest Judokas ever. The story is rather elementary and today the film appears dated: many scenes feel clichéd, like the challenger’s daughter falling in love with Sanshiro or the inevitable final duel; the fight scenes are heavy and clumsy, entirely based on editing and extras, with a banal ending.

Despite numerous flaws, the film finds redemption in several points, and it is already noticeable how Kurosawa's direction is evolving towards his typical 1940s-60s style. In fact, there is a great focus on the more inner and spiritual side of man: one could say the film is told almost like a coming-of-age novel, as the protagonist, through his experiences and mistakes, manages to learn not only martial arts but also about himself. Indeed, the process of learning Judo is nothing but an outward projection of the evolution process occurring within Sanshiro; the realization and change in mentality of the characters will be a constant in Kurosawa's work, as seen in "Drunken Angel", "Ikiru", or "Red Beard".

Unfortunately, however, the film suffers from simplism and naivety and is far from the depth that the director's later films would have. The most interesting elements of the story (like the moral code of Judo or the characters’ personalities) are not deeply examined, only superficially touched upon. The actors, particularly the protagonist, are too stiff in their roles, and the only performance that stands out is that of the great Takashi Shimura, even though his role is quite brief. The memorable scenes of the film are mainly three: when Sanshiro throws himself into an icy pond and stays there for a day to show his dedication and courage to his master, the fight in the evening through the city streets, and the final duel, which takes place on a hillside devastated by a storm.

In conclusion, the film has numerous defects. It is a raw product, certainly, but one must also reflect on the times in which it was shot: we are in wartime, a time when censorship did not allow many films to be released unless they were patriotic or contained content not "harmful" to the State.
It is a film to watch only if you are a Judo/Kurosawa enthusiast or for a "historical" spirit.

There is a sequel to the film made by Kurosawa himself (entitled "Sugata Sanshiro Part Two", which seems to have been made by the director for purely economic reasons) and 5 remakes.

The version I watched (VHS) had terrible subtitles, with errors in names and Italian (perhaps because it was translated from English, which was based on the Chinese version of the film), and poor video quality.