The Ballad of Narayama
An elderly mother prepares to surrender herself to a merciless village custom while securing her son's future.
Overview
A poignant exploration of duty and sacrifice in a harsh, unforgiving world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sardonic
- brutally honest
- disturbing
- serious film night
- japanese cinema deep dive
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Imamura's Palme d'Or-winning drama as a masterful, brutally honest, and deeply empathetic examination of survival, custom, and human nature.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The village's mandatory departure of seventy-year-olds turns tradition into an instrument of family honor and social control.
Animal behavior and predation are repeatedly juxtaposed with the villagers' sexual, familial, and survival practices.
The village's crude sexual customs, appetite, violence, and gossip generate sardonic comic energy alongside suffering.
Orin spends her final winter arranging Tatsuhei's marriage before accepting her required journey to the mountain.
Films like The Ballad of Narayama, and why
The Wages of Fear
shared rural social ritual, harsh communal morality, and emotionally unsparing drama
The Seventh Seal
shared austere humanism, stark mortality themes, and tragic village-bound storytelling
The Eel
shared Japanese art-film sensibility, social marginality, and grotesque comic undercurrents
Ikiru
shared difficult ethical choices, ritualized death, and emotionally devastating family drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Shōhei Imamura
- Release Date
- 1983-04-29
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (212)
Cast
- Ken Ogata
- Sumiko Sakamoto
- Tonpei Hidari
- Aki Takejo
- Shoichi Ozawa
- Fujio Tokita
- Sanshō Shinsui
- Seiji Kurasaki
- Junko Takada
- Mitsuko Baisho
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Ballad of Narayama about?
- An elderly mother prepares to surrender herself to a merciless village custom while securing her son's future.
- What is The Ballad of Narayama like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Ballad of Narayama as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Ballad of Narayama violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Ballad of Narayama as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Ballad of Narayama?
- Critics broadly regard Imamura's Palme d'Or-winning drama as a masterful, brutally honest, and deeply empathetic examination of survival, custom, and human nature.
- Which films are like The Ballad of Narayama?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wages of Fear, The Seventh Seal, The Eel, and Ikiru.
- How long is The Ballad of Narayama?
- The Ballad of Narayama runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Ballad of Narayama?
- In United States, The Ballad of Narayama streams on ARROW.
