Sansho the Bailiff (1954)

In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is exiled to a remote province. His wife, Tamaki, and their children, Zushiō and Anju, attempt to join him but are deceived and separated. Tamaki is sold into prostitution, while Zushiō and Anju are enslaved on an estate ruled by the brutal Sanshō. As they grow up, Zushiō loses his humanity, becoming a harsh overseer, while Anju clings to their father's teachings of mercy.