Japanese Movie Director (5): Satsuo Yamamoto

Satsuo Yamamoto (1910 - 1983)

20 movies directed by Satsuo Yamamoto were ranked in Top_10_movies. Yamamoto was a close friend of Tadashi Imai, and they had a very similar career. They entered Toho in middle 1930s. They were members of Japanese Communist Party, and, therefore, were purged around 1950. Since then, Yamamoto worked as an independent movie director.
Yamamoto also selected subjects associated with social problems of the day, and their heroes or heroines were, in many cases, the poor, the oppressed, or the defeated, as Imai's.

(Director of "Battle" Movie)
However, Yamamoto is Yamamoto, and Imai is Imai. When Yamamoto treated a social problem in his movie, he, in many cases, dscribed a "battle" against the enemy who causes the problem (i.e., "battle" between the good and the bad). In contrast, Imai, in many cases, described a "struggle" for survival of the victims of the problem.
A "battle" movies causes a feeling of anger against the "enemy", and, if the "enemy" is defeated, you will feel pleasure. A "struggle" movie causes a feeling of pity for the victims (i.e., heartache), and, if the victims are relieved from the problem, you will be saved from the heartache.
Yamamoto was a skilled director of a "battle" movie, who could make, from even a political matter", a "battle" movie. Many of entertainment movies are action movies (including war movies, western movies, and so on), and most action movies are "battle" movies. Thus, Yamamoto was also a skilled director of entertainment movies, although he was a communist and made movies describing social problems from a left-wing viewpoint. Some called Yamamoto, "Red Cecil B. DeMille".

Yamamoto's "battle" movies were not, however, simple-minded propaganda movies. It is because Yamamoto did not describe the enemies as a fool (although they are occasionally caricatured too much). In Yamamoto's movies, important enemies are usually smart, lively, or vital, and appear to be characters of a "bigger-than-life" type. They are often more attractive than heroes or heroines. In this respect, Yamamoto was right and quite reasonable. If the enemy is a fool, the hero/heroine who cannot defeat the enemy easily is also a fool. A movie describing a "battle" between fools may not be enjoyable unless it is a comedy movie.

(Filmography)
The filmography provides the items "Production year", "Japanese title", "English title", "Survival Status" (whether or not negative or positive exists), and DVD/Blu-ray availability. Titles of the movies ranked in Top_10 are in bold font.
(Note) Most of Yamamoto's films are preserved in a complete form, thus the item "Survival Status" is omitted except for titles whose complete version does not exist.
(Note) Some of the available DVD/Blu-ray titles are out of stock. Never fail to check region codes and format (NTSC or PAL) of the disc and your player, before purchasing DVD/Blu-ray discs.

(Filmography)
1937 Ojôsan (Young Lady)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None       
1937 Haha no kyoku (Mother's Song)
     Survival Status: Exist (Reissued version shorter than the original by approx. 40%)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None       
1938 Den-en kokyogaku (Pastoral Symphony)   
     Survival Status: Exist (Reissued version shorter than the original by approx. 20%)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None           
1938 Katei nikki (Diary of a Family)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1939 Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekisyu-hen (Tange Sazen, New Series _ Episode of "One-armed")
     Survival Status: ?   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None           
1939 Uruwashiki shuppatsu (Beautiful Departure)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None       
1939 Machi (Street)    
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None           
1939 Ribon wo musubu fujin (Wife Wearing a Ribbon)    
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None           
1940 Soyokaze chichi to tomoni (With Father in Gentle Breeze) 
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None       
1940 Shimai no yakusoku (Promise of Sisters)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None   
1941 Utaeba tengoku (Sing, and You Are in Heaven)   
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1942 Tsubasa no gaika (A Triumph of Wings)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1943 Neppû (Hot Wind)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1947 Sensô to heiwa (War and Peace)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1949 Konna onna ni dare ga shita (Who Made me a Woman Like This)
     Survival Status: ?
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None   
1950 Boyoku no Machi (The City Dominated by Violence)   
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1952 Hakone fûunroku (Hakone Chronicle)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1952 Shinku chitai (Vacuum Zone)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1954 Hi no hate (Where the Sun Sinks)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1954 Taiyo no nai machi (The Street Without Sun)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1955 Ai sureba koso_segment 3 (Because I Love You/3rd Episode)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese       
1955 Ukikusa Nikki (The Traveling Players)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1956 Nadare (Avalanche)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None       
1956 Taifû sôdôki (Typhoon)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None       
1958 Akai jinbaori (The Red Jinbaori)    
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None   
1959 Niguruma no uta (A Song of a Cart)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1959 Ningen no kabe (Human Barrier)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1960 Buki naki tatakai (Battle without Weapons)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1961 Matsukawa-Jiken (Matsukawa Incident)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1962 Chibusa wo daku musume tachi (Girls Who Hold their Breasts)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1962 Shinobi no mono (Band of Assassins/The Ninja)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA (Please check Amazon.video)
1963 Akai mizu (LT Red Water)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1963 Zoku shinobi no mono (The Ninja Part II)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA (Please check Amazon.video)
1964 Kizudarake no sanga (Destroyed Mountains and Rivers)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1965 Nippon dorobô monogatari (A Tale of a Japanese Thief)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1965 Shonin no isu (A Witness's Chair)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1965 Supai (Spy)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1966 Hyoten (Freezing Point )
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1966 Shiroi Kyotou (The Great White Tower)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1967 Nise keiji (The Bogus Policeman)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1967 Zatôichi rôyaburi (Zatoichi the Outlaw/Zatoichi Breaks Jail)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, and more
1968 Botan-dôrô (Peony Lantern Ghost Story)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1969 Vietnam
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1969 Tengu-tô (Blood End)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1970 Sensô to ningen: Unmei no jokyoku (Men and War)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1971 Sensô to ningen II: Ai to kanashimino sanga (Men and War, Part Two)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1973 Sensô to ningen III: Kanketsuhen (Man and War, Part III)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1974 Karei-naru ichizoku (The Family)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1975 Kinkanshoku (Annular Eclipse)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1976 Fumô chitai (Wasted Land)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1976 Tenpo Suiko-den: Ohara Yugaku
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1978 Kotei no inai hachigatsu (August without the Emperor)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1979 Ah! Nomugi toge (Nomugi Pass/Oh! The Nomugi Pass)
     Survival Status: Exist
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese
1981 Asshii-tachi no machi (A Street of Assies)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1982 Ah! Nomugi toge - Shinryokuhen (Oh! The Nomugi Pass _ Episode of New Leaves)
     Survival Status: Exist   
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None   


My recommendations are as follows:
    1940 Soyokaze chichi to tomoni
   (Yamamoto started his career as an assistant of Mikio Naruse, as an example of "Naruse-like" movie);
    1952 Shinku chitai
   (a masterpiece, as the most powerful "battle" movie, here the "enemy" is war and army);
    1959 Niguruma no uta
   (another masterpiece, as the best "struggle" movie of Yamamoto);
    1964 Kizudarake no sanga
    1966 Shiroi Kyotou
   (as showpieces of a vital and lively enemy); and
    1970-73 Sensô to ningen
   (as the Yamamoto's largest-scale project).