Something Like a Filmography takes a (brief) look at the filmography of Akira Kurosawa. Twice a month, Chris and Jon share their impressions of each film, both on its own terms and in terms of Kurosawa’s legacy and its intersection in the Cinema Dual hosts’ lives.
FROM THE BOX: Kurosawa’s first film was such a success that the studio leaned on the director to make a sequel. The result is a hugely entertaining adventure, reuniting most of the major players from the original and featuring a two-part narrative in which Sanshiro first fights a pair of Americans and then finds himself the target of a revenge mission undertaken by the brothers of the original film’s villain.
WHAT CHRIS THOUGHT: It’s refreshing to see that even back in 1945 the problems plaguing sequels were still there. Shoehorned nationalism and some hilarious propaganda imagery (specifically Sugata slamming the doors marked”USA” as he leaves the boxing match in disgust) still can’t hide the things that draw me – and I suspect Kurosawa – to the film. While the movie essentially treads the same path as the first film, Kurosawa seems much more preoccupied with studying Sugata’s conflicted emotions as the ramifications of his actions come to light. Moving past the obvious (and clunky) “we must preserve our martial arts at all costs from the threat of these foreigners” even as the reality was Western influence creeping into every avenue of Japanese life, I find it relatively easy to put my focus on the wonderful resolution between Sugata and Higaki from the first film, and the beautiful parallel of Sugata offering to carry Higake home via rickshaw, recalling the first film. Ditto the final fight, which is between Sugata and one of Higaki’s brothers, not for the snowbound battle which is perfectly fine (although it’s sad how badly this film’s been preserved versus the earlier one) but how it ends, with a chance to kill Sugata rescinded and an understanding between adversaries. Even though by every measure this is a weaker film, there are moments that shine through I can dig into.
WHAT JON THOUGHT: I came into this movie anticipating the much referenced wartime propaganda, and certainly it occupies a significant amount of the film’s run time. The American sailor and boxer seemingly occupy similar positions to Rocky IV’s Ivan Drago. Sugata’s master’s admonishment that fighting isn’t about one school or another, but about “the survival of Japanese martial arts” also underscores the nationalistic ambitions at play here. But I did find myself surprised at how that thread resolves itself in a perfunctory manner well before the film’s end. Sugata’s efficient defeat of the American boxer is contextualized as a low point for the protagonist, as he feels he is breaking the rules of his dojo because he cannot bear the spectacle of American crassness any longer. The real meat of this picture is in the rivalry between Sugata and the two Higaki brothers, come to avenge the defeat of their brother from the first film. The climactic battle on the snowy mountain is truly compelling, and calls back to the “survival” speech. Unfortunately, it sits at the end of a movie that suffers the same fate of a lot of sequels, which is to largely (and poorly) retrace the plot of the original.
ANYTHING ELSE, CHRIS? Not much more to add, as this film slowly slips from my mind in ways the first film (and The Most Beautiful) do not. Even Richie’s book merely glances at the film, and emphasizes the points above about treading water and being more a propaganda tool than anything else. As I reflect a few weeks from seeing Sanshiro Sugata Part 2, my thoughts swell on the interaction between Sugata and Higaki, the rickshaw offer, and truly not much else. One final thought: despite its lackluster execution, I was still appalled at how badly this film’s been preserved, and I’d be lying if the rough look didn’t at least slightly influence my lack of enjoyment – especially the ending fight.
ANYTHING ELSE, JON? Whie I am disappointed that Ryūnosuke Tsukigata’s return as Gennosuke Higaki lacks the style of his previous appearance, Kurosawa doesn’t let Tsukigata hang out to dry, as he gets to perform the additional role of Tesshin Higaki, one of the two Higaki brothers out for revenge, and gets the honor of the big climactic showdown of the film. As far as style goes in this movie however, that honor goes to Akitake Kōno as Genzaburo Higaki, whose theatricality both in costume and performance immediately draws the eye whenever on screen.
THE FINAL WORD(S): For both Chris and Jon, the academically interesting way Kurosawa handles patriotism and the actually interesting way Kurosawa handles the final sequence aren’t enough to overcome the problems that most sequels face, and it is no surprise that Kurosawa will rarely go down that road in the future.
NEXT TIME: We move onto the period drama of The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail.
Cinema Dual 
Leave a comment