Sanshiro Sugata

Kurosawa’s assured debut film about a young man’s spiritual journey through the study and practice of judo.

The director’s debut film, introducing the first Akira Kurosawa hero: a feckless judo champ who discovers social responsibility and finds illumination in the lotus pond. Little by little Sanshiro learns the truth about life and in the celebrated climax on the windswept heath he finds that strength is not enough – but that endurance is.