Sansho Dayu

Aroview: One of Mizoguchi's great classics, based on an 11th century Japanese folktale elaborated into a sprawling vision of a cruel, mysterious cosmos, where individuals struggle with forces of feudal tradition and fate. Central story follows the epic plight of a ruined noble family, whose children are captured and corrupted by the slave-owning title character. A must-see, full of haunting, magical imagery.