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Initially, Sanshiro is physically capable, but he lacks any type of poise or reflection concerning his self-control and demeanor, even getting into merry fights at a village festival. His master believes him to be talented but lacking in discipline, describing teaching him judo as "like giving a knife to a madman". After being told about his lack of care about life, Sanshiro jumps into a lotus pond to prove his strength and loyalty. Clinging to a stake in the pond, he stays the whole day and night before he sees the opening of a lotus blossom that makes him find self-realization. Leaping out of the pond, he goes to Yano to ask for his forgiveness. He starts to appreciate that there is more to his life and to his art than simple muscle and brawl and soon becomes a leading student in his school.
456:, "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 in an advertisement, Kurosawa decided the project was for him and asked film producer Iwao Mori to buy the rights for him. Kurosawa, told that Toho wouldn't be able to buy the rights until it was published, eagerly awaited its release, to the point where he stalked bookstores night and day until he found a copy; he quickly read the book and wrote a screenplay for it. Despite his enthusiasm,
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his school in a public match against Murai himself to determine which school is best to train the local police in the martial arts. The scheduled bout gets off to a slow start, but
Sanshiro soon comes into his own and begins executing devastating throws which cause internal physical damage to his opponent. Although Murai tries to stand every time, energized by the memory of his daughter Sayo, he is forced to give up after the third time he is violently sent to the ground by Sanshiro.
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483:, who called it an important artistic achievement despite other voices claiming it was too "British-American". After the initial release, Japanese censors reportedly trimmed the film by 17 minutes. Some of this footage was later recovered and added to a DVD release, and the original script with the missing material still exists; intertitles are included in the release that describe what occurred in the missing parts. The 1952 re-release (from which the 2009
471:, 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
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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. However, the resident monk chides him for this self-serving display, and he emerges from the pond a humbler man after witnessing the blooming of a lotus blossom, a
Buddhist symbol of purity.
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and insist that he is the most interesting character in this film. Given the heightened drama of every scene he invades, the visual association between him and the shadow, as well as the sound of his voice -- cued as it is to the raging wind -- Higaki does spur
Kurosawa to deviate from the path of a
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led by
Hansuke Murai. He first faces Kodama, a jujutsu tough that had tried to take out Shogoro in the river. The ensuing match leads to the death of Kodama after a move by Sanshiro leaves him crashing into a corner. In a scheduled competition between the two schools, Sanshiro is chosen to represent
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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
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After the match, Sanshiro makes friends with his defeated opponent and is attracted to Sayo. Sayo is a local beauty, and another Ryōi Shintō-ryū jujutsu master, Higaki, competes with
Sanshiro for her affections. When he challenges Sanshiro to a duel to the death, Sanshiro accepts and defeats him by
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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
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master by becoming a student at one of the city's martial arts schools. His first attempts to find a suitable instructor fail, until he finally finds an accomplished master, Shogoro Yano from the
Shudokan Judo school, who he sees defending himself against a group of jujutsu bullies near a river.
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conventional wartime 'spiritist' film. The director's focus shifts away; from a wholesome story of a guileless youth, perfecting his skill along with his pure
Japanese heart. He stays strangely fixed on Higaki and conveys an unmistakable sympathy for the devil, no matter the moral consequence."
491:"This film has been modified from the original version of Akira Kurosawa's debut film, which opened in 1943, without consulting the director or the production staff. 1,845 feet of footage was cut in 1944 to comply with the government's wartime entertainment policies."
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between judo and jujitsu; being a period piece; and having a popular 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.
283:, weather patterns as reflections of character moods, and abruptly changing camera speeds. The film itself was quite influential at the time, and has been remade on no fewer than five occasions. It spawned a sequel,
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The city is looking to employ one of the local martial arts schools to guide the training of its local police force, and the school of
Sanshiro becomes a leading candidate along with its rival, the local school of
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Paul
Anderer emphasized Kurosawa's attention to the character of Gennosuke Higaki in the film. Higaki, created by Tsuneo Tomita for the novel and inspired by real life jujutsu master
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film studios, the film was eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Tsuneo Tomita, the son of prominent
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In 1883, Sanshiro is a talented though willful youth who wishes to become a
752:. The Manila Times Publishing Company, Inc. September 7, 1972. p. 17.
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DVD is made) opens with (translated from the original Japanese text):
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Starring Sanshiro Sugata Japan's greatest JUDO exponent
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246:and the directorial debut of the Japanese
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548:(1965) - Directed by Seiichirō Uchikawa
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503:"Kurosawa would later call Higaki his
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695:"Sanshiro Sugata: The Deleted Scenes"
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367:as Gennosuke Higaki
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1240:Seven Samurai 20XX
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801:. Retrieved
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274:Saigō Shirō
114:Toshio Gotō
69:Produced by
39:Directed by
1341:Toho films
1336:Judo films
1281:1943 films
1275:Categories
1261:(daughter)
677:"Judoinfo"
637:References
613:Masaya Oki
581:Television
565:The Master
438:Production
244:drama film
167:1943-03-25
130:Production
1205:Criticism
1155:Kagemusha
1131:Red Beard
1043:The Idiot
1019:Stray Dog
485:Criterion
234:Judo Saga
231:, a.k.a.
111:Edited by
1187:Madadayo
1035:Rashomon
839:AllMovie
797:Archived
771:Archived
699:Archived
681:Archived
655:Archived
651:"姿三四郎とは"
620:See also
467:scholar
320:Yokohama
215:Japanese
200:Japanese
196:Language
121:Music by
79:Starring
57:Based on
1198:Related
1115:Sanjuro
1107:Yojimbo
1027:Scandal
851:at the
795:. DDB.
769:. DDB.
705:May 10,
522:Remakes
412:as Wada
311:jujutsu
299:jujutsu
266:Jujutsu
223:Hepburn
188:Country
165: (
132:company
1255:(wife)
1190:(1993)
1182:(1991)
1174:(1990)
1171:Dreams
1166:(1985)
1158:(1980)
1150:(1975)
1142:(1970)
1134:(1965)
1126:(1963)
1118:(1962)
1110:(1961)
1102:(1960)
1094:(1958)
1086:(1957)
1078:(1957)
1070:(1955)
1062:(1954)
1054:(1952)
1046:(1951)
1038:(1950)
1030:(1950)
1022:(1949)
1014:(1949)
1006:(1948)
998:(1947)
990:(1946)
982:(1946)
974:(1945)
966:(1945)
958:(1944)
950:(1943)
793:"姿三四郎"
767:"姿三四郎"
513:Themes
259:judoka
1051:Ikiru
939:Films
915:Works
527:Films
281:wipes
191:Japan
1247:Nioh
1226:A.K.
828:IMDb
805:2021
779:2021
707:2021
663:2021
611:and
448:and
326:Cast
293:Plot
270:Judo
255:Toho
219:姿三四郎
1163:Ran
863:at
837:at
826:at
605:NTV
591:NTV
454:Uma
445:Uma
1277::
679:.
276:.
225::
221:,
217::
895:e
888:t
881:v
867:.
807:.
781:.
709:.
665:.
615:.
597:.
237:)
213:(
169:)
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