Sansho the BailiffPG

Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi | Japan | 1954 | 1h 57m | Japanese w/ English subtitles | Starring Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô, Akitake Kôno

In medieval Japan, a young brother and sister are torn from their aristocratic family and sold into slavery by corrupt officials. Sent to the estate of a cruel and oppressive bailiff named Sansho, the two endure years of hardship. As they grow older, they seek to escape and reunite with their long-lost mother. Renowned for its beautiful cinematography and long, flowing takes, Kenji Mizoguchi’s heartrending exploration of human dignity and empathy has earned the film a place among the most significant works of Japanese cinema.

Our Sunday 29th October screening will be introduced by Alexander Jacoby, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, Oxford Brookes University

Reviews

‘At some point during the watching, “Sansho the Bailiff” stops being a fable or a narrative and starts being a lament, and by that time it is happening to us as few films do.’ 
★★★★★
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Sansho the Bailiff between October 29, 2023 and October 30, 2023.

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Tomorrow (Sunday 27th April)

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Misericordia 15
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Returning for a funeral, Jérémie becomes entangled in a rural mystery of eerie disappearances and hidden motives. Alain Guiraudie’s latest thriller blends quiet menace and dark humour to present an unsettling puzzle of desire, power, and death.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!