The Ballad of Narayama

“Only Time Could Change the Cruelty of Tradition… Only Their Love Could Survive It…”

7.5(196)19832h 10m

Drama

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 they 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.

Director

Shōhei Imamura

Where to watch

Free

Rent

Buy

Streaming data by JustWatch

Cast

Ken Ogata

Tatsuhei

Sumiko Sakamoto

Orin

Tonpei Hidari

Risuke

Aki Takejo

Tamayan

Shoichi Ozawa

Katsuzô

Fujio Tokita

Jinsaku

Sanshō Shinsui

Zeniya Tadayan

Seiji Kurasaki

Kesakichi

Junko Takada

Matsuyan

Mitsuko Baisho

Oei

Taiji Tonoyama

Teruyan

Ben Hiura

Yakimatsu

Reviews

1 review

badelf

2y ago

10.0

The short review is "life's a bitch, then you die" LOL, that doesn't do this absolutely brilliant film any justice, though. Imamura has crafted a rather sardonic, brutally honest mirror of humans. Like humans, it is both hard to watch, and simultaneously invokes emapthy. Few directors every achieve this level of mastery of the audience's emotions. It holds a well-deserved Palme d'Or. The leg...