Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937)
"Ninjô kami fûsen" (original title)

Director:

Sadao Yamanaka

Writer:

Shintarô Mimura

Stars:

Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Tsuruzo Nakamura

Cast

Credited cast:
Chôjûrô Kawarasaki	...	Matajuro Unno, a samurai
Kan'emon Nakamura	...	Shinza, the barber
Tsuruzo Nakamura
Choemon Bando
Sukezo Sukedakaya	...	Landlord
Emitaro Ichikawa
Noboru Kiritachi
Shizue Yamagishi	...	Otaki, Matajuro's wife
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Toshio Arashi
Daisuke Katô	...	Isuke - Yatagoro henchman
Kôzaburô Nakamura
Chôbee Yamazaki
Shimajirô Yamazaki

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

lower class | landlord | suicide | letter | barber | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

August 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ballad of the Paper Balloons

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony PCL, Toho Company, Zenshin-za

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in 100 Years of Japanese Cinema (1995)

User Reviews

The Poor's Pride

This is a brilliant film. A story about a poverty stricken part of Edo (Tokyo) in the feudal era of Japan, the film concerns itself with its inhabitants, all of which are superbly written and realized. The best role went to Nakamura Kanemon as Shinzu The Barber. His character is contrary, proud and kind of fearless. The depiction of poor but somewhat brutish samurai is also greatly written. The story begins with a suicide and while is generally an unhappy film there is a bit of dark comedy in it. One of the saddest things was this was director Yamanaka Sadeo's swan song, as he died in the war shortly thereafter. Sadder still is that most of his films have been lost, but you still have this film, an utterly mesmerizing tale of the poor who somehow accept their fate and do not make it a millstone around their neck. See this, its a deserved classic.