Sansho Dayu/ Sansho the Bailiff, about the misfortune befalling the wife and children of an exiled feudal governor, is my favourite film, so i'm absolutely delighted by your response. New fans/ converts to the great man most welcome. It's ridiculously low in the top 100 here, but that's due in large part to a  sudden flurry of votes, marking down Japanese films, 2 years ago. 

It's engrossing and poignant, aches with longing, and the cinematography- ravishing landscapes in shades of luminous silver- painterly compositions and the serene fluid camerawork are sublime. As i've said before, in one scene- lovely Kyoko Kagawa as Anju- a few ripples carry more impact than a Hollywood tidal wave. The final gentle crane shot over the beach, a model of typically unobtrusive technique, transcends the story and takes us into the world beyond.