MovieChat Forums > Sanshô dayû Discussion > Did I miss something?

Did I miss something?

posted 15 years ago by antonioiam
10 replies | jump to latest

Why was the mother blind and so old at the end?

We're told that ten years have passed, and then we see the scene where she doesn't look that much older and tries to run away. Her tendon is then cut.

In quick succession Zushio escapes, becomes governor, frees the slaves, resigns, and goes to Sado.

When he finds his mother at Sado, she has aged many years and even somehow gone blind.

Did something get mixed up in the editing? Was the scene in which the mother's tendon got cut supposed to take place shortly after her enslavement? Was it some sort of poorly realized flashback? The only reasoning I can imagine is that someone decided to put that scene after the passing of ten years so that the new slave singing the song would be more effective.

I have an open mind to thoughts here, and if I did miss something I apologize in advance.

Otherwise I thought it was a fantastic film.

[–] dbg1224 15 years ago

My guess is that after her tendon was cut she didn't stop trying to escape so the fact she looks aged is evidence of all the torture she has endured. But I also believe a good amount of time has passed since all of what Zushio does probably took some time.

My three favorite films (order changes): Vertigo, Taxi Driver, and 2001: A Space Odyssey

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] sun_scryer 15 years ago

and staring in the sun blinds you. the mother suffered horribly. her being old, gray and crippled, and emotionally and mentally broken, seems 'normal' to me.

it isn't right, though. she didn't do anything wrong. there may have been mercy, but justice should have made an appearance, too. this isn't a western movie, though, so it's interesting to view how things are different elsewhere from where I am.

i spent the whole movie crying. i wouldn't have minded a hollywood ending, though it would have ruined the movie's message. i just felt so bad for the whole family; they suffered because they were good people.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] rhowells2000 14 years ago

Go away BronzeKeilani, and stop making a spectacle of your congenital stupidity. I've defacated things capable of a more sophisticated response than you, you vulgar little cretin.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 9 years ago

stop making a spectacle of your congenital stupidity. I've defacated things capable of a more sophisticated response than you, you vulgar little cretin

Brilliant put down!  Pity the post you were replying to has been deleted.

A bird sings and the mountain's silence deepens.

[–] aeneas219 13 years ago

My guess, is that the scene with the tendon being cut was when she was first there, so she looked about the same age. 10 years does a lot to someone, so it could be possible that the editing isn't off it's just confusing to a certain extent

[–] lordhack_99 13 years ago

Crippled, heartbroken, used as a throwaway human... gee, maybe that has some effects, you know?

[–] Grethiwha 12 years ago

I believe it was a flashback. Since it came right after they were talking about where the song originated, I'm pretty sure we were meant to understand that the film was now showing us her singing the song for the first time, before it spread over those ten years. I understood it that way at least.

To be fair though, I "missed" probably more than my fair share of things in the first hour, and had to do some rewinding to sort out my confusion. Excellent film though.

[–] 12 years ago

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