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The Ballad of Narayama

Play trailer Poster for The Ballad of Narayama 1983 2h 10m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Still strong at the age of 69, Orin (Sumiko Sakamoto) prepares herself for an inevitable yet frightening ritual. In her village, where food is scarce, life is harsh and people are desperate and cruel. Anyone who lives for 70 years is hauled to the mountaintop by their children and left to die in the dead of winter. Orin is prepared to accept her fate, but she also has one last, all-important task -- she must find a suitable wife for her son, Tatsuhei (Ken Ogata).

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The Ballad of Narayama

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times A fascinating experience. Rated: 4/4 Jun 20, 2018 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Imamura's rough sexual humor is still in evidence, but now it has taken on a dark tone: to make love is to flirt with death. Feb 8, 2010 Full Review Zach Campbell Slant Magazine However you slice up postwar Japanese cinema, Shohei Imamura is one of its premiere figures. Rated: 4/4 Sep 2, 2004 Full Review Carson Timar Filmotomy Outside of the films impressive visuals, 1983s The Ballad of Narayama ends up ranging from average to outright terrible. Feb 12, 2022 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com With its exaggeration and extreme stylization, Kinoshita taps into the tragic, melancholy heart of this fable. Nov 16, 2020 Full Review Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) The Ballad of Narayama is a difficult and surprising film. [Full Review in Spanish] Feb 18, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Interested P I believe some narrative elements are either cloudy or lost in translation, but this film is a masterpiece. Compelling drama executed with a poetic touch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Raphael G Honest about who humans are when times and conditions are harshest. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/23/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. A bizarre movie that my family couldn't get through with all the odd sex, and I agree this distracted from the plot despite the themes. The setting was beautiful and the primitive peasant culture seemed legit. However, I don't plan on seeing it again. It was on Internet Archive. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L Sex and potatoes - it's all you need living as a peasant on a Japanese mountain. Shōhei Imamura's film is quiet and brutal, made unsettling by both a rigorous dedication to tradition and a disinterest in the preservation of life - if something is determined not to be useful (particularly 'an extra mouth to feed') it is quickly removed, the resources reallocated. Both of these factors contribute to the practice of 'ubasute', in which elders of a certain age exile themselves to a mountain to die rather than impose upon their village and families. Sakamoto's Orin is approaching the age where ubasute becomes mandatory, but finds that she has much to settle before leaving, particularly regarding her poorly adjusted, somewhat outcast middle-aged son, Ogata's Tatsuhei. The film largely revolves around their relationship, the practices of the village under brutal conditions, and the late coming-of-age of Tatsuhei; it is a film of eating and mating, and the line between base animal instinct and humanity. There were some parallels to Aleksandr Sokurov's Mother and Son, most notably in the actual journey to the mountain undertaken by Tatsuhei and Orin, in which Orin is required to stay mute. There is the same quiet power, the mother-son bond, and an intense familial love; there is just a lot more context this time around. The Palme d'Or is the weirdest award. Many people consider it to be among the most prestigious cinematic prizes, perhaps the single greatest honor that is subject to global competition. Yet, so many of the recipients are so ridiculously niche, and end up being confined to dusty shelves in film school. While not a perfect film in every respect, The Ballad of Narayama has power instead of distinctiveness alone, to the point where the later scenes may sneak up on you with their impact. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/01/21 Full Review Audience Member Harsh, brutal, but at the same time, very much filled with life - even if it does raise the question of whether life is even worth living. In-your-face symbolism aside, I do wonder at the end of the day what the point was, even though I did enjoy the film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member In a rural Japanese village every person that turn 70 has to climb a nearby mountain to die. We follow a woman and her last days with her family. Cool music, some fresh wind effects. I like the animals put to screen, often added to scenes for a scene fadeout or something. It takes some time for the trye plot to happen. 90 minutes in the journey starts. The rest is filled with intrigues, murders, fights and lovemaking. The importantness of staying alive and at the same time capture wifes to mate with is strong, the combination of them is hard - there is not much food around. When the mountain hike starts it's pretty beautiful and a long climax. Not sure if it was worth the long wait, though. At times it's hard to follow, with many characters and names you never really catch or get a grip of. Silly characters, some still likeable. 7 out of 10 animals. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Ballad of Narayama

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Movie Info

Synopsis Still strong at the age of 69, Orin (Sumiko Sakamoto) prepares herself for an inevitable yet frightening ritual. In her village, where food is scarce, life is harsh and people are desperate and cruel. Anyone who lives for 70 years is hauled to the mountaintop by their children and left to die in the dead of winter. Orin is prepared to accept her fate, but she also has one last, all-important task -- she must find a suitable wife for her son, Tatsuhei (Ken Ogata).
Director
Shôhei Imamura
Screenwriter
Shôhei Imamura
Production Co
Toei Company
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 9, 2018
Runtime
2h 10m
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