The Ballad of Narayama
Encyclopedia
is a 1958 Japanese drama film
directed by Keisuke Kinoshita
. It is based on the book Men of Tohoku by Shichiro Fukuzawa. The film explores the practice of ubasute.
The film takes place in a traditional Japanese village
, with no particular reference to a time period (roughly 19th century). It is a timeless fable
concerning moral lessons derived from the life of the main character Orin, an elderly woman, 69 years of age.
There is a 1983 remake
of the film, directed by Shohei Imamura
.
The film discusses the philosophical theory of Cultural Relativism. The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 31st Academy Awards
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Keisuke Kinoshita
Keisuke Kinoshita
was a Japanese film director.Although lesser known internationally than his fellow filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa , Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujirō Ozu , Keisuke Kinoshita was nonetheless a household figure at home beloved by audience and critics alike, especially in the forties through the sixties...
. It is based on the book Men of Tohoku by Shichiro Fukuzawa. The film explores the practice of ubasute.
The film takes place in a traditional Japanese village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, with no particular reference to a time period (roughly 19th century). It is a timeless fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
concerning moral lessons derived from the life of the main character Orin, an elderly woman, 69 years of age.
There is a 1983 remake
The Ballad of Narayama (1983 film)
is a 1983 Japanese film by director Shohei Imamura. It stars Sumiko Sakamoto as Orin, Ken Ogata, and Shoichi Ozawa. It is an adaptation of the book Narayama bushiko by Shichiro Fukazawa and remake of the 1958 film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita.- Plot :...
of the film, directed by Shohei Imamura
Shohei Imamura
was a Japanese film director. Imamura was the first Japanese director to win two Palme d'Or awards.His eldest son Daisuke Tengan is also a script writer and film director, and worked on the screenplays to Imamura's filmsThe Eel , Dr...
.
The film discusses the philosophical theory of Cultural Relativism. The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 31st Academy Awards
31st Academy Awards
The telecast of the 31st Academy Awards is among the most infamous. The show’s producer Jerry Wald started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time. Unfortunately, he cut too much material and the ceremony ended 20 minutes early, leaving Jerry Lewis to attempt to fill in the time...
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Cast
- Kinuyo TanakaKinuyo Tanakawas a Japanese actress and director.Tanaka was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She became a leading actress at an early age, appearing in Yasujirō Ozu's I Graduated, But... in 1929...
as Orin - Teiji Takahashi as Tatsuhei
- Yûko Mochizuki as Tamayan
- Danko Ichikawa as Kesakichi
- Keiko Ogasawara as Matsu-yan
- Seiji MiyaguchiSeiji Miyaguchiwas a Japanese actor who appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai despite the actor's confession to have never handled a sword before the role , Ikiru as a yakuza boss from "restaurant row," and Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan...
as Matayan - Yûnosuke Itô as Matayan's son
- Ken MitsudaKen MitsudaKen Mitsuda was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 53 films between 1940 and 1983.-Selected filmography:* Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs * An Inlet of Muddy Water...
as Teruyan
See also
- List of submissions to the 31st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film