Five out of only nine films in his life won the top 10 of Kinema Junpo, (four out of five if limited to the early years), and he was respected as a great director representing Japanese movies, although he didn't make many.
生涯わずか9本の映画のうち5本がキネマ旬報ベストテンに入賞し（前半に限れば5本中4本）寡作ながら日本映画を代表する名監督としての尊敬を集め続けた。