Sansho the Bailiff (Criterion Collection)

When an idealistic governor disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife and children left to fend for themselves and eventually wrenched apart by vicious slave traders. Under Kenji Mizoguchis dazzling direction, this classic Japanese story became one of cinemas greatest masterpieces, a monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil.