In a poor 19th century rural Japanese village, everyone who reaches the age of 70 has to climb a nearby mountain to die. An old woman is getting close to the cut-off age, and we follow her last days with her family.
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Title: The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
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9 wins & 8 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Ken Ogata | ... | Tatsuhei |
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Sumiko Sakamoto | ... | Orin |
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Tonpei Hidari | ... | Risuke |
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Aki Takejô | ... | Tamayan |
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Shôichi Ozawa | ... | Katsuzô |
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Fujio Tokita | ... | Jinsaku |
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Sanshô Shinsui | ... | Zeniya no Tadayan |
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Seiji Kurasaki | ... | Kesakichi |
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Junko Takada | ... | Matsuyan |
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Mitsuko Baishô | ... | Oei |
| Taiji Tonoyama | ... | Teruyan | |
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Casey Takamine | ... | Arayashiki (as Kêshi Takamine) |
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Nenji Kobayashi | ... | Tsune |
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Nijiko Kiyokawa | ... | Okane |
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Akio Yokoyama | ... | Amaya |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
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 he or she 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. Written by Mattias Thuresson
Taglines:
Only time could change the cruelty of tradition ... only their Love could survive it ... See more »Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
JapanLanguage:
JapaneseRelease Date:
29 April 1983 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
The Ballad of Narayama See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
"Narayama" translates literally into English as "oak mountain". See more »Contribute to This Page
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I was a little surprised by a few of the negative comments below since I don't consider this film to be at all slow or dull. Many foreign and Asian films (Tsai Ming-Liang, Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, Hou Hsiao-Hsien for example)are far more grueling and slow whereas this film is loaded with narrative events, humor, eroticism (of various sorts, not all involving contact between humans and other humans)and a profound meditation on community, responsibility and mortality. If one finds this slow then I'd imagine most foreign films besides Amelie would be off-limits. I have rarely seen a film that forces one to confront such disturbing yet important subjects. In this village where scarcity forces all over 70 to be taken to Narayama mountain to die, a 69 year old woman who is still energetic and capable must settle her son's affairs before taking her final journey. Pondering how one would live in a place where for years one would know that at 70 this would happen is one key question. Further, what are the final things one must do before dying. Finally, the film makes us confront the literal truth of bodily decay and corruption in the scenes at Narayama Mountain.