In 11th-century feudal Japan, following the exile of an idealistic governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders; the children, Zushio and Anju, are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho.

Kinuyo Tanaka
as Tamaki

Yoshiaki Hanayagi
as Zushiô

Kyōko Kagawa
as Anju

Eitarō Shindō
as Sanshô dayû

Ichirō Sugai
as Minister of Justice

Bontarō Miake
as Kichiji

Yōko Kozono
as Kohagi

Chieko Naniwa
as Ubatake

Kikue Mōri
as Priestess

Ken Mitsuda
as Prime Minister Fujiwara
CinemaSerf
When a benign provincial governor tries to intervene to protect his people from the brutality of the military, he is stripped of his rank and banished. His wife and children are forced to follow him, on foot, some time later and hopelessly ill-equipped for that task they fall prey to people traffick...