Ballad of Narayama aka: Narayama Bushiko (1983) — he said, she said — dvd movie review
Director: Shohei Imamura
Starring: Ken Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto
Genre: Japan, Drama
Release Date: June 10, 2008
SHE SAID:
Sometimes I think movie awards are granted to the films that show the most boobies. Just show a little heart and a little tragedy and a lot of skin and there’s your accreditation. Take the laurel-gilded Ballad of Narayama for example, with its sexless sex where couples copulate coldly during conversations, perhaps as a clue to their mundane work-to-play ratio (the character we see often having sex is a jester type in opposition to his workaholic older brother), but it comes across as Imamura trying to save screen time by blasting us with unrealistic banter (”you’re better than my late husband”, “you too”). Only the male virgins seem to enjoy sex, of course in the most selfish way.
In this famine-struck village, as in any failing old-fashioned agrarian society, their blind acceptance of tradition affirms unhappy gods. Where there are unhappy crop gods, there are sacrifices. The elderly are sent to die up in the mountains. A spry old woman bashes out her own front teeth to appear “weak”, so she can be taken up the mountain sooner. Men become Yakko, the second or subsequently-born sons forbidden to marry or procreate. A woman promises her dying husband that she will lay with every yakko to appease the gods. A family caught hoarding potatoes is buried alive.
When Chris intro-ed this film, I mistook it for a Shohei Imamura production/distribution, not necessarily his film. So I told Chris that it sure played like an Imamura film, wringing out the darkest aspect of the blackest souls, somehow making it utterly believable. It is almost as if there is no rhyme or reason to the evils of humans and humanity, that we force each other to behave this way and have no choice but to accept it. There are no martyrs, just rebels, wait, even less than rebels, just animals.
Imamura has the gift to reduce even the most civilized people to core primal instincts (eating, killing, copulating), while retaining the most human qualities: hiding our truth. In Ballad of Narayama, family members are estranged even if they actually care. Here’s where the human aspect of Ballad of Narayama creeps in; people don’t usually say what they feel, moreso the Japanese, probably moreso a Japanese drama, so even in this village of loathsome animal instinct, there are secrets and plots and heartbreak.
Imamura juxtaposes images of rodents and snakes, snakes eating rodents, snakes giving birth, snakes having sex. Also close-ups of a hawk who will eventually steal a rabbit the villagers shoot. With these images, he enforces the similarities between man and beast, and the exception of survival, where cunning man is much more brutal because his necessity is premeditated and set up for justification.
Chris asked me if I would recommend this film, and I’m still unsure of the answer. I see filmmaking merit, but I also see human fodder. If you like films that have a loathsome cast and possibly take your granny for granted, by all means, pick this one up.
HE SAID:
Shohei Imamura’s films rank with some of the best in Japanese cinema. His trademark disregard for convention, and borderline iconoclastic nature, make his films some of the most interesting and challenging works a Japanese film enthusiast can hope to see. While his films contain no small number of shocking and erotic elements, the films are not your everyday, simple “Asian Extreme,” brand of entertainment. Despite their trappings, Imamura’s films address issues of genuine ethical, philosophical, and intellectual interest. The Ballad of Narayama is no different. To understand and appreciate Narayama is to have at least some background in the history of the locales depicted, and ethical basis of its inhabitants. Without this background, one will see little else in The Ballad of Narayama than a series of blackly comic vignettes featuring quaintly amoral peasants, and scenes of equally comedic, grotty sex.
While most Japanese period pictures focus on noble samurai, skillful shinobi, or lords and ladies of the court, the subjects of The Ballad of Narayama are the poorest of the poor, the lowest of low peasants in the outermost reaches of Japan. It’s no secret that the life of a peasant is filled with hardship, and that isolation, lack of education, and agricultural hardship can lead to somewhat questionable superstitions, but Narayama’s brand of superstition is made all the more severe by government mandates regarding family structures, inheritance laws, and rules for resource sharing. You see, at the center of The Ballad of Narayama is the constant struggle for food, both in terms of production and consumption.
The entire ethical code of the villagers in the film is based upon the idea of ensuring what little food nature makes available is able to provide for the populace. Unrestrained reproduction is frowned upon. A larger family means more mouths to feed, and should more than three generations of the same family be alive at any given time, that family’s elders would suffer utmost shame for their perceived irresponsibility. Likewise, to keep population low, only the firstborn son of any family reserves the right to marry and inherit his family’s estate. All other siblings are relegated to workers and sources of income. Subsequent males fall into the role of Yakko: male workers who are unable to marry, shave their beards, or inherit their family’s farm. Females can be sold as prostitutes, or allowed to live in hopes of finding a good firstborn son to marry. And then there are the elderly. Rather than being prized and respected for their experience and wisdom, these people are instead deemed unnecessary consumers of food. Furthermore, if an elderly person is too healthy (ie: able to walk upright, work their land, and possess all their teeth), to the community it shows they have been hogging food at the expense of their own family, and in turn, the community. In order to eliminate such waste, these elders are offered to Narayama mountain as sacrifices, in order to ensure the safe and continued production of resources the mountain provides.
So, with that out of the way, we can finally talk about the film. The Ballad of Narayama is the second of two Japanese films to bear the title, but something short of a remake. The adaptation of two Shinichiro Fukazawa novels, Imamura’s Ballad of Narayama tackles two simultaneous tales of village life. The first is the same covered in the 1958 film, and concerns the relationship between an elderly mother, Oirin (Sumiko Sakamoto), and her son, Tatsuhei (Ken Ogata), who will, upon his mother’s 70th birthday(she’s 69 at the start of the film), be tasked with carrying her up Narayama mountain to die. The second concern’s Oirin’s Yakko sons, their various attempts at illegal romance, and their daily struggles with village life. While the first tale provides the film’s exploration of the tragic nature of unquestioned, institutionalized traditions, the second allows Imamura to indulge his comedic and.. well, I guess you’d say “more perverted” sides. Likewise, roughly half The Ballad of Narayama is of legitimate cinematic and intellectual interest, while the the other is simply a bunch of goofing around.
However, despite its indulgences, The Ballad of Narayama is an exceptional piece of cinema. In the visual realm, the film features some beautiful nature cinematography, the likes of which would make even the Planet Earth crew envious. The capturing of people fares a bit less, but their performances more than make up for the difference. And, really, what performances these are. Ken Ogata, who usually stars in yakuza pictures shines as Tatsuhei, the one logical point of reference for the viewers of the film. His frustration and constant railing against the illogical sacrificial tradition, internal though it may be, is evidenced in his every movement, and ever interaction with his mother. Sumiko Sakamoto, however, steals the show. The little old lady manifests such energy, confidence, determination, character, poise, and emotional resolve, you might find yourself wondering how the filmmakers created such a wonderful special effect without the benefit of CG. Seriously, I don’t think filmmakers could hope for such a performance today. But lest these praised lead you to believe these performances are fun, I must assure you of the contrary. You don’t identify with the characters in The Ballad of Narayama so much as pity them for their foolishness. This pity is made all the more frustrating and maddening by the competence of the performers. Time and again you’ll wish to reach into the screen and slap some sense into these horribly misguided peoples, simply because they seem so real. These aren’t Larry Clark or Todd Solondz style amoralistic caricatures, but living, breathing, flawed persons.
Alas, I’ve let myself go on for way too long. In closing, let me say that Ballad of Narayama is a challenging film. It’s not quite Imamura’s best, nor is it a completely solid picture. In fact, I can’t even say that it’s particularly enjoyable. However, the issues addressed in Narayama will no doubt provide ample food for discussion. Check it out.
The DVD.
I’ve been wanting to see The Ballad of Narayama for years, but could only find a cheap Janus films VHS edition at a local Hollywood Video. When I actually got around to trying to purchase the film, it had already been rescued. While frustrating at the time, thankfully, that video was not my introduction to the film. AnimEigo’s DVD is up to par with their usual visual, audio, and subtitle standards. The film looks great, the sound is clear, and the subtitles most likely vastly improved over the original Janus release.
But where the DVD really shines is AnimEigo’s film, production, and historical notes. Without these, I couldn’t possibly have hoped to understand the film, much less write this review. If you even consider watching this film, make sure you read every one of these beforehand. You’ll find the experience far more worthwhile if you do. Also included are a number of trailers for Ballad of Narayama and other AnimEigo releases, and a lengthy set of production photos (40+).
All in all, this is an excellent disc for fans of Imamura and Japanese film connoisseurs alike. Pick it up.
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