During the renaissance of Japanese cinema, Keisuke Kinoshita's 1958 drama Narayama Bushi-ko (The ballad of Narayama) won virtually every Japanese film award but failed to find success among Western audiences. Out of circulation for many years (and unfairly branded as inferior to Shohei Imamura's 1983 remake), Kinoshita's neglected classic has arrived on video.
In this eerie and disturbing tale, based on an ancient Japanese legend, an impoverished rural village banishes its senior citizens to a mountaintop. Two parallel stories are told here: a kindhearted grandmother peacefully prepares for her departure, much to the anguish of her weak son and the delight of her vicious grandson, while a pathetic elderly man, refusing to meet his fate, is forced to scrounge for food.
In retrospect, it is easy to see why Narayama Bushi-ko never found its niche outside Japan. The production is not so much a film as a jolting fusion of traditional kabuki and cinema technique. With its theatrically artificial sets, a narration sung in an ancient Japanese folk style, and gorgeous CinemaScope film, Narayama Bushi-ko came to an international audience unfamiliar with its artistic roots. But finally now, it can be hailed by all as an artistic masterpiece.
Narayama Bushi-ko: US$79.95. Kino on Video: +1 (212) 629 6880.
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