The Ballad of Narayama (1983 film)
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| The Ballad of Narayama | |
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 Poster for Ballad of Narayama (1983) |
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| 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, 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 younger 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 nature – birds, snakes, and other animals hunting, watching, singing, copulating or giving birth.
[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
[edit] External link
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| Preceded by Missing tied with Yol |
Palme d'Or 1982 |
Succeeded by Paris, Texas |
