#the ballad of narayama

[jugeullae]

When unwanted and shaken to death on purpose, all human ties are cut off like a severed rope.

THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA 楢山節考 (1958, Kinoshita Keisuke)

[hayaomiyazaki]

Polish film poster for The Ballad of Narayama / 楢山節考 (1983) dir. Shōhei Imamura, released 1985. Art by Andrzej Pagowski.

[feedingahriman]

The Ballad of Narayama (1983) by Shōhei Imamura

[pacingmusings]

Seen in 2024:

The Ballad of Narayama (Keisuke Kinoshita), 1958

[marionsinspirations]

[cinemaobscura]

The Ballad of Narayama | 楢山節考 (1983) dir. Imamura Shohei

[remedialreviews]

There are some staggering sequences in this - the burying alive, the hike and skeleton field - but its brutality was just too pragmatic, and whatever Stinky had going on was just too much altogether, for me to generally connect with it. Yet, I watched this after being forced to file my own taxes, and so I really understand Imamura when he said that the world of Narayama made more sense to him than the modern one.

[southmountainninja]

‘The Ballad of Narayama’ (1958). Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita.

[ryukandmorty]

The ballad of Narayama (1993)

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: The Mad Fox

If Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji was director Tomu Uchida’s homage to the socially conscious period dramas produced by Sadao Yamanaka (particularly Humanity and Paper Balloons), then The Mad Fox is surely intended to be his tribute to Keisuke Kinoshita’s surreal, kaleidoscopic The Ballad of Narayama.

From its opening credits—which feature impressionistic illustrations that seamlessly transition into live-action footage—to its tragic climax—during which the studio set appears to be suspended in an empty void of infinite darkness—the film embraces the inherent artifice of the medium. The framing, mise en scène, and blocking, for example, are evocative of the theatrical traditions of kabuki and Noh; the vibrant color palette, meanwhile—the eerie scarlet glow of the ominous blood moon, the warm amber hue of the silky sky, the radiant green of the gently swaying grass—is reminiscent of emakimono (painted scrolls). Indeed, the narrative frequently delves into pure abstraction, conveying conflict and character development through elaborate dances rather than dialogue or naturalistic action. Consequently, the overarching plot is somewhat disjointed, leaving several threads entirely unresolved—even the central antagonists abruptly vanish prior to the final act.

Although these experimental, unconventional qualities might alienate certain viewers (and definitely have, judging by the handful of reviews that I skimmed), I found them to be absolutely captivating. Not every movie needs to tell a coherent story; sometimes, the style is substance enough in and of itself—no further “context” required to justify the sublime imagery and immaculate cinematography. In the case of an avant-garde masterpiece like The Mad Fox, I was only too happy to simply immerse myself in the spectacle.

[genevieveetguy]

- Mom, aren't you dead yet? - Not just yet. I ate some white rice and got better.

The Ballad of Narayama (Narayama bushikô), Shôhei Imamura (1983)

[eliemcdowell]

[BLU-RAY] Perfect Days, Coffret Kenji Misumi : La larme à l'oeil, Coffret Shinya Tsukamoto, La ballade de Narayama, A Scene at The Sea, Past Lives et Hokusai # 53

Les Blu-ray sont devenus un business old school aujourd’hui, mais ils restent un rouage essentiel du cinéma. Parce que cela reste encore le meilleur moyen pour découvrir certains vieux films obscurs. Il faut dire que même avec la multiplication des services de VOD, tous les catalogues du monde entier sont bien loin d’y être présents. Perfect Days : 19,99 euro Coffret Kenji Misumi : La Larme à…

[saveblackcats]

The Ballad of Narayama, Shohei Imamura (1983)

[pacingmusings]

Seen in 2024:

The Ballad of Narayama (Shohei Imamura), 1983

[rebloggingistheenemy]

I watched this yearly in college, I may have even introduced it to the Japanese Culture dorm (my parents had unusual taste in film, they also said I should watch Ballad of Narayama with my Japanese club in highschool: good movie but not appropriate for westerners under 18)

[superbpaperkoala]

The Ballad Of Narayama - Movie Review