The Ballad of Narayama (1983 film)

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The Ballad of Narayama
Poster for Ballad of Narayama (1983)
Directed by	Shohei Imamura
Produced by	Goro Kusakabe Jiro Tomoda
Written by	Shichirô Fukazawa (stories), Shohei Imamura
Starring	Ken Ogata Sumiko Sakamoto Takejo Aki Tonpei Hidari Seiji Kurasaki Kaoru Shimamori Ryutaro Tatsumi Junko Takada Nijiko Kiyokawa Mitsuko Baisho
Music by	Shinichirô Ikebe
Cinematography	Masao Tochizawa
Editing by	Hajime Okayasu
Distributed by	Toei Co. Ltd.
Release date(s)	April 29, 1983 September 7, 1984 (limited)
Running time	130 min.
Language	Japanese
IMDb profile

The Ballad of Narayama (楢山節考, Narayama Bushiko^?) is a 1983 Japanese film by director Shohei Imamura. It stars Sumiko Sakamoto as Orin, Ken Ogata, and Shoichi Ozawa. It is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name. Both films are based on the book Men of Tohoku by Shichiro Fukuzawa.

[edit] Plot

The film is set in a small rural village in Japan in the 19th century. According to tradition, once a person reaches the age of 70 he or she must travel to a remote mountain to die of starvation. The story concerns Orin, Orin, who is 69 and of sound health, but notes that a neighbor had to drag his father to the mountain, so she resolves to avoid clinging to life beyond her term. She spends a year arranging all the affairs of her family and village: she severely punishes a family who are hoarding food, and helps her idiot son lose his virginity.

The film has some harsh scenes that show how brutal the conditions could be for the villagers. Interspersed between episodes in the film are brief vignettes of natural beauty from the Japanese countryside, often featuring animals copulating.

[edit] Awards

Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Japanese Academy Awards (1984)
- Best Actor Ken Ogata
- Best Film
- Best Sound Kenichi Benitani
Blue Ribbon Awards (1984)
- Best Actor Ken Ogata
Excellence in Cinematography Award (1984): Masao Tochizawa
Hochi Film Award (1983)
- Best Supporting Actress Mitsuko Baisho
- Mainichi Film Concours (1984)
- Best Actor (Ken Ogata)
- Best Sound Recording: Kenichi Benitani