The Ballad of Narayama
1958 · Movie · 98 min · ★ 7.5
In a remote village where food is scarce, elders who reach the age of 70 are carried by their children to the top of a nearby mountain to die in solitude. Orin, a vibrant 69-year-old grandmother, has accepted her fate — but struggles to prepare the rest of her family for the ritual.
Also known as Ballad of Narayama · the ballad.of narayama
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Details
- Years
- 1958
- Release date
- 1958-06-01
- Language
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 98 min
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (89 votes)
Themes
- family relationships
- dying traditions
- social convention
Awards & recognition
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1959 · nominated
Cast & crew
Kinuyo Tanaka
as Orin
Teiji Takahashi
as Tatsuhei
Yūko Mochizuki
as Tamayan
Seiji Miyaguchi
as Matayan
Yūnosuke Itō
as Matayan's son
- KM
Ken Mitsuda
as Teruyan
Danko Ichikawa
as Kesakichi
- KO
Keiko Ogasawara
as Matsu-yan
Eijirō Tōno
as Messenger
Kō Nishimura
as One of the villagers who Teaches Narayama's Manners (uncredited)
Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita