Sansho the Bailiff story
Sansho the Bailiff (山椒大夫, Sanshō Dayū) (known by its Japanese title in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is a 1954 Japanese period film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Based on a short story of the same name by Mori Ōgai, which in turn was based on a legendary folklore, it follows two aristocratic children who are sold into slavery.
13 total · 2 choice · 6 major · 5 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| mercy | choice | father's last words were of mercy, Sansho was merciless, his son Taro showed mercy |
| slavery | choice | the story demonstrated the inhumanity of slavery |
| brother and sister | major | Zushio and Anju |
| coping with the death of a family member | major | Zushio reacts to the deaths of his sister, father, and mother in turn. HIs emotions are at the center of the story. |
| cruelty | major | Sansho and adult Zushio especially |
| father and son | major | Sansho and Taro |
| human self-sacrifice for another | major | sister for brother; brother for old woman; brother sacrificed his status by freeing slaves |
| the need for freedom | major | we saw the miserable lives of people who were slaves their whole lives |
| master and servant | minor | Tamaki and maid |
| master and slave | minor | we briefly saw interaction between Sansho and some of his slaves |