The Ballad of Narayama

In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should refuse they would disgrace their family. Old Orin is 69. This winter it is her turn to go to the mountain. But first she must make sure that her eldest son Tatsuhei finds a wife.

Cast

Ken Ogata

Ken Ogata

as Tatsuhei

Sumiko Sakamoto

Sumiko Sakamoto

as Orin

Tonpei Hidari

Tonpei Hidari

as Risuke

Aki Takejo

Aki Takejo

as Tamayan

Shoichi Ozawa

Shoichi Ozawa

as Katsuzô

Fujio Tokita

Fujio Tokita

as Jinsaku

Sanshō Shinsui

Sanshō Shinsui

as Zeniya Tadayan

Seiji Kurasaki

Seiji Kurasaki

as Kesakichi

Junko Takada

Junko Takada

as Matsuyan

Taiji Tonoyama

Taiji Tonoyama

as Teruyan

Reviews

badelf

The short review is "life's a bitch, then you die" LOL, that doesn't do this absolutely brilliant film any justice, though. Imamura has crafted a rather sardonic, brutally honest mirror of humans. Like humans, it is both hard to watch, and simultaneously invokes emapthy. Few directors every achie...

Similar Movies