Review – Sanshiro Sugata

Though this is Akira Kurosawa’s first feature film, it includes a lot of the visual and plot elements that would later make him one of the world’s best directors. The story follows a man through the early years of his career as a judo student. By learning to quiet his mind and appreciate the beauty of life, he becomes a superior fighter. Overall the picture follows lines similar to Kurosawa’s later work but without the bloodshed or the epic running time. After watching disappointing early efforts from some of my other favorite directors, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this one was. Worth seeing