01
The Eel
Why this pick
Imamura returns to a close-knit Japanese community with the same unsentimental empathy, earthy humor, and patient observation of instinct, shame, and survival.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE1983 2h 10m JPN
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
The Ballad of Narayama
Drama
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved The Ballad of Narayama, try these.
01
02
Vengeance Is Mine
Why this pick
Its probing, unvarnished view of human appetite and social hypocrisy carries the same fierce, anthropological attention to behavior that powers The Ballad of Narayama.
03
The Twilight Samurai
Why this pick
A more restrained period drama, but similarly attentive to family obligation, poverty, aging, and the dignity found in difficult daily responsibilities.
04
The Village
Why this pick
This severe rural drama studies a secluded community whose traditions govern bodies and choices, echoing Narayama's sense of collective custom becoming moral pressure.
05
The Turin Horse
Why this pick
Its austere rhythm and elemental rural hardship create a similarly physical meditation on endurance, dwindling resources, and life continuing under an implacable order.
Finding the atmosphere, tension and little details that made this one stay with you.
Our curator needs a little longer. Please come back shortly.
No confident matches yet. Try our personal film finder.
01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
The film is set in a small rural village in Japan in the 19th century. According to tradition, once a person reaches the age of 70 he or she must travel to a remote mountain to die of starvation, a practice known as ubasute. The story concerns Orin, who is 69 and of sound health, but notes that a neighbor had to drag his father to the mountain, so she resolves to avoid clinging to life beyond her term. She spends a year arranging all the affairs of her family and village: she severely punishes a family who are hoarding food, and helps her younger son lose his virginity.
Showing saved details. Some information may be out of date.
02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Sumiko Sakamoto
Orin
Tonpei Hidari
Risuke
Nenji Kobayashi
Tsune