Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes International Film Festival 1983
A Toei - lmamura co-production
Toei Productions
THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA
Produced by TOMODA Jiro & KUSAKABE Goro
Original stories by FUKAZAWA Shichiro
Cinematography by TOCHIZAWA Masao
Music by IKEBE Shinichiro
Starring: OGATA Ken
SAKAMOTO Sumiko
HIDARI Tonpei, AKI Takejo
KIYOKAWA Nijiko, BAISHO Mitsuko
MIKI Norihei, TATSUMI Ryutaro
Written & Directed by IMAMURA Shohei
Why were you up at the Arayashiki house, Tatsuhei?
Nothing special.
How was the father?
Not too bad, not too good.
Bring some firewood over.
Gran, how old are you now?
69.
You've got such strong teeth,
you can even crack pine cones and hard beans.
I've never eaten such things.
Gran, you've got 33 teeth.
I've only 28, you idiot.
Granny, you can't count beyond 28! You have more!
Kesakichi, shut up and go back to work.
Carrying the salt merchant Otori on my back
Up Narayama as the snow begins to fall
Hurry, hurry, hurry...
ls that smelly bastard still sleeping?
Risuke...
Risuke!
The horse is probably hungry.
Did you go to the Arayashikis' yesterday?
I heard one of the villagers sneaking around looking for the she-dog.
Well, I didn't go.
They treat that dog like their own daughter.
The old man beat to death a boy who tried to fuck his dog.
I didn't go.
You're my brother.
If you do something shameful, then I'll lose face.
You stink!
Go over there and stop breathing on me.
Jinsaku! Father!
What's up? Why are you boiling the congee?
Gran's dying.
Granny Okane?
Ma? Ma!
The congee's ready.
Old man...
You're going too far, abandoning a dead child in our paddy field.
Dead child?
Your wife was pregnant not long ago, right?
No, on the contrary.
I arranged for a grave to be dug and buried my in-law's dead child.
- When? - Ten days ago, I saw to it personally.
Risuke, that dead child, maybe it's from the Nakayas' place.
They also had a pregnant woman at home.
Is that so?
Risuke!
It's your family's turn to make a coffin.
And make one for my mother.
Otsune!
Did you abandon your dead child on my field?
That's right!
You stink so much, it'll rot faster on your field.
That's why I brought it here. You should thank me!
I don't need fertilizer like that!
Was it your brother?
It wasn't our baby.
You were expecting a baby girl but you got a boy!
You idiot!
You were left abandoned in the valley as a baby.
Weren't you too?
Who wasn't in this village?
You stink!
If it's a boy again, I'll throw it...
...on your stinking field again!
I don't want that kind of fertilizer.
It's you, the salt merchant!
Long time no see, Granny Orin!
It's only been a year and you have a pretty granddaughter.
But the child's mother and Tatsuhei's wife, Otake, passed away.
I heard about it. She was so unlucky.
She died last year, not long after she'd had the child.
She was picking chestnuts and fell off the cliff.
Come and sit up here and have some soup.
Is Tatsuhei out working on the mountain?
No, he's in the field.
But, on my way here,
l think I saw him on the western mountain.
Tatsuhei?
It was far off, I couldn't see clearly. Maybe I was mistaken.
By the way, Granny Orin,
I came round here for a different reason...
Isn't this salt?
We haven't decided yet whether to sell her or not.
No, I'm not here on business.
The salt's a gift from Yonehachi from the village opposite.
The village opposite?
She asked me to negotiate with you about being Tatsuhei's second wife.
It's freezing!
Hey!
A woman from the village opposite is coming to marry you!
She's called Tamayan.
She's only just become a widow.
She said she'll marry you after 100 days.
She's eight years younger than you, 37 now.
That old? She won't be pretty then!
Stinky! Don't come near me! You reek!
Risuke, if he doesn't want you to come near him, then don't!
Kesakichi will become head of this family after Tatsuhei.
Tatsuhei...
Did you go to the western mountain this morning?
No.
The salt merchant said he saw you.
You look more and more like Rihei.
You mean he saw my father?
He couldn't possibly be alive after disappearing 30 years ago.
He must've recognised the wrong person.
Move it!
Stop whinging!
Ma...
You really don't know why my father disappeared?
You were 15 and Risuke was five then.
It was a bad harvest that year.
We sold our newborn daughter to the salt merchant.
Also your dad's mother had reached 69, my age now.
She had to go to Narayama.
Because of the continuous hardship and Rihei's weakened spirit,
he refused to let his mother go up the mountain.
But the law is the law.
In life, we can't rely solely on our emotions.
But he couldn't accept the law, and so he ran away.
I was made a laughing stock in the village.
- You're not thinking...? - I'm different. Not like my father.
I hope so.
My old dear was sitting
At the corner of a storehouse
She counted 33 hairs on her mound below...
Matsuyan, how many do you have down there?
How do I know!
I'll help you count them!
No, Kesakichi!
Stop it!
Stop it...
I don't want to do it here.
Stop it, stop it!
Oh, my herbs!
Don't worry about that.
Later on, I'll help you pick more herbs than these.
And Valerian blooms...
...and fem buds...
...and wild angelica.
I'll pick plenty for you!
Plenty!
It hurts.
It hurts!
Granny Orin sitting at the corner of a storehouse
Counting her 33 teeth like a demon...
Come over to my place!
Come and count how many teeth my mother has!
Hey, Tatsuhei, I didn't mean to insult her.
I'm just mimicking what Kesakichi was singing.
- Kesakichi? - Yes.
Whoever it is, help me!
My son is a monster!
He doesn't feed me. He wants to starve me to death.
Who's there outside?
Father!
It's Tatsuya from the Neko family.
Oh, is it?
He wanted to kill a chicken to eat last night.
He managed to kill it last time.
I want him to go up the mountain this winter.
He is already 70 years old.
Your mother's almost ready to go as well.
The Neko family's Demon Hag
Sits at the corner of a storehouse
She counts her teeth and realizes she has 33...
So you think your granny's teeth are like a demon's?
Your granny loves you so much!
How can you do this... you bastard?
No food for you!
I really envy you, Orin.
Why?
I wish I could go on living longer.
Well, being too healthy like me is also something to be ashamed of.
I eat as much food as anybody else.
I want to go up the mountain.
I don't want to die from illness.
I want to die up the mountain.
It's all the same, isn't it?
Our souls will all go up to the mountain.
- We will all meet on the mountain. - Do you think so?
Of course. Your husband is waiting for you there.
I don't know about my husband.
I wonder where Rihei disappeared to.
He just left his gun at the western mountain.
He was dead.
Gambling and women, that's what he adored in life.
He wasn't a bad man.
You can say that.
You're still in love with him.
I don't know.
You've had a hard time as well.
Having a hard time's nothing compared to losing face in the village.
- Okane is dying. - When?
Looking at her, maybe tomorrow or the day after.
After two months, a bride is coming from the village opposite.
Then mother can relax a bit.
Wait a moment.
We don't need a woman to come from over there.
We've no need of her, I'll get married.
My new wife can take care of his baby.
What are you saying?
We can't afford to feed an extra two mouths!
You idiot! No food for you!
He wants to marry Matsuyan from the Amaya family.
Keep your mouth shut, you idiot!
Is it too big?
It's fine.
Even dead cats swell up in size.
What a marvelous coffin.
How is Granny Okane?
She just died.
Really? Let's hurry then.
Ma, you're not dead yet?
Not yet.
I had some congee and I feel fine.
Oh, it is congee cake!
Demon Hag!
Good girl, good girl.
This autumn's harvest is no good either.
The stem pith grew too much.
Are you here to attend the festival?
Is this Tatsuhei's home?
Are you Tamayan from the village opposite?
Yes. My village also has a festival,
but I was told to come here.
They said I'd eat better here, so I walked through the night.
Is that so? You must be starving, then.
Good girl, good girl.
There's a good girl.
Go straight in.
You shouldn't have waited outside,
you should've come into the house earlier.
I was alone, so I felt a bit shy.
My brother wanted to escort me here,
but he got too drunk at the festival.
The salt merchant said you're a good person and told me to come immediately.
I should've gone to pick you up.
I'm happy to be here. And I can take care of the child.
Did the salt merchant tell you about me?
I'll be going up to the mountain quite soon.
There's no rush to go, you should take your time!
Not at all. The sooner the better, then the mountain god will praise me.
These fish are the ones I caught myself.
You can catch fish by yourself?
Nobody catches more fish than I do in this village.
That's because I know where to find them.
I'll teach you.
So finish off these. I still have plenty of dried fish.
I'll go and call Tatsuhei over.
Eat as much as you like!
What? Only two?
Risuke, don't breathe a word of this to anyone.
- What did you pick up? - Nothing...
- Give it to me! - I said it's nothing.
- Give it to me! - Push off.
You reek!
Very smelly, smelly, smelly!
Who do you think you are?
I'm your uncle. Don't speak to me like that!
Bastard!
Don't rush your food.
I'll fetch Tatsuhei in a moment.
I'll be sent up the mountain soon. My teeth aren't so strong anymore.
Right, pull away!
Hurray!
Tatsuhei of the Neko family is a very lucky man
Come the 10th day of October, he will have a second wife
Lucky...
Kesakichi, where's Tatsuhei?
Don't let go!
Jinsaku!
- It's the Demon Hag! - Demon Hag!
If she bites you, you'll never escape!
The Neko family's Granny Orin sitting at...
You'll be eaten by the Demon Hag!
The demon has 33 teeth...
Takeyan, Takeyan
She's getting married to Tatsuhei
Tamayan is replacing Osuzu
Though she may not look pretty
She will still make a fine daughter-in-law
A fine daughter-in-law
Takeyan, Takeyan, after the festival
Go back to the mountain and rest
Don't hold any anger in your heart
You're doing better than my last one.
You too!
The god of the house is moving.
- The god of the house? - He came to say hello.
Good girl, good girl, good girl.
Come over here.
Shiro, don't move!
Don't move, Shiro!
Stay still, Shiro!
Oei...
Oei, you listen carefully.
Honey, I grilled the snake already.
This house... is cursed.
There was a storehouse here... before I built the kennels.
One night, a young man stole into the storehouse
to make love to my sister.
My father beat him to death with a club.
I have fallen sick.
I can't even die on Narayama.
It's because the spirit of the man my father killed is haunting us.
After I am dead,
you have to spend one night
with each of the men in the village.
- One night each? - Yes.
Then you have to pray to the god of the house,
and you have to force the men
to worship the god of the house too.
If it's not done,
this house will be cursed by that young man's spirit forever.
Oei, I beg of you.
You have to make atonement for the sin.
I beg of you.
I understand.
Don't worry yourself.
Come on! I understand what you're saying.
I will... I will make atonement on your behalf.
You're lying.
It's not a lie!
Who did you hear that from?
It was the Arayashiki family elder's last word last night.
Who did he tell?
To Oei, of course!
How did you know about it?
Well... I was passing by and I heard them.
You smelly bastard, you went to fuck Shiro.
Idiot! I wouldn't do such a thing!
He stinks so much, he's gone mad! Even Shiro doesn't want him!
He's gone mad! Mad!
Sons of bitches!
Everyone's laughing at me.
God of the mountain, please cure my smell.
And then... erm...
Let Oei's husband die soon.
And then...
Bastard! You tried to hide it from me!
I heard what happened last night!
You heard I peeped at you making love?
You Peeped?
Oh, you mean mother's teeth?
Teeth?
Ma told me not to tell anyone.
I'm talking about Shiro at the Arayashikis' house.
You idiot!
What did you say about mother's teeth?
Please, brother!
You can't run away from this by rolling on the ground!
Come on, come with me!
I'll teach you a lesson, you fool!
You can't hide anything from me!
You idiot!
- Ma... - Ma!
I loved your stone-like front teeth, Ma!
Son of a bitch!
Bastard!
Bastard! Bastard!
Your brother takes after your father,
he beats up people when he's angry.
Did he used to beat you up, Ma?
People who have no guts beat other people up.
- Do I smell? - No, you don't.
Big brother never once told me I stank.
It's like we're on a swing.
It's going to rain.
It came off!
The baby's getting big.
- When's it due? - Next year.
There's the baby,
there's me,
there's father,
and there's grandma...
She'll say that this baby's her great-grandchild.
Why's a great-grandchild no good?
You shouldn't have babies when you're too young.
Granny Orin will hate me, just like the Demon Hag in the story.
Nothing we can do about it!
Come to eat at my place tomorrow.
Ream?
We're going to have to ration our food.
I think so.
Matsuyan, you might be good at making love,
but you're lousy at making fires.
Thanks so much.
Not at all. The Neko family has plenty.
No!
No, no!
You won't do it again.
Why did you spare her?
Is that the right thing to do?
It'll be hard having another great-grandchild,
but I sense it could be my own reincarnation.
I won't dislike my great-grandchild as much as people think.
I'm off to bed.
Pay homage to the god of Narayama!
- Where are Tatsuhei and Kesakichi? - Everyone's gone.
- Where? - To the Amayas'.
That's your house. Stay here and take care of Yuki.
I'd just gone to bed and I heard a noise.
I discovered Amaya,
he was stealing the beans I'd harvested ten days ago!
I caught him red-handed!
He must be punished according to the law,
and we must pay homage to the god of Narayama.
Right, search the house!
I found it!
Any more, Jinsaku?
No more.
Bastard!
This is unbelievable!
Your field couldn't harvest even half this amount.
No wonder our potato harvest was no good this year!
He's even dug them out before they're ready. Look, here's a tiny one!
Amaya's ancestors also had to apologise to the gods.
Forgive me!
I have so many family to feed.
Many family? Who made them, then? Eh? It's your own doing!
I know I did wrong, but...
Kesakichi, Kesakichi!
Kesakichi, I beg you, our Matsuyan's your wife.
You idiot! That has nothing to do with this!
Everyone's life is hard here!
The Amayas are thieves through and through.
Two generations have offended the gods.
I can't see Oei.
- This time an apology isn't enough. - Think of something else.
Oei's husband passed away just now.
Right then, everyone gets an equal share!
When steaming beans, the more beans you eat, the bigger they grow.
Then what's the point of planting beans anymore?
Why?
They're not going to grow in a pot just by boiling them!
Oh, yeah?
I don't think she was sent here to be Kesakichi's wife.
I think she was driven out by her family.
She must be five months pregnant by now.
Food for two...
Do you think we'll survive the winter?
We can't just let the Amaya family off like this.
We have to do something about them, otherwise we can't sleep peacefully!
If we leave them, they'll start stealing again.
So what should we do?
We all need to discuss this.
We're gathering at Teruyan's place. You must come too.
I'll go and tell the others.
That's very good of you.
Tonight... about that...
...we need to make a decision.
We have to dig the Amayas out from the roots.
We can't make an exception for Matsuyan either.
You have to be ready to do this.
But she's now part of the Neko family,
and she's expecting a Neko baby.
No exceptions.
Tatsuhei, you're always like this.
That's why people say you're like Rihei.
- You say I'm like my father? - That hurts.
Who says so?
That hurt!
Go and talk to your mother!
I'll come for a gamble tonight.
Fool!
Divide them into three portions.
Right?
Listen, one of us will lose.
No objections, right?
I won!
I'll take this.
I got a long one!
Sorry!
I hope it's going to be a girl.
Then we won't have to kill it. We can even sell her.
Matsuyan!
The Amaya family have nothing to eat tonight,
so take these to them.
Stay there tonight and take care of them.
You've done it!
Tatsuhei! Tatsuhei!
Smelly Risuke!
- Kesakichi, don't you come! - Why?
Just don't!
Is it tasty?
Help!
He") me!
No, Kesakichi!
Wait! Matsuyan! Matsuyan!
Matsuyan!
Kesakichi! Kesakichi!
Wait! Everyone hold on!
Drop them in!
No!
Wait, you bastards!
Matsuyan's carrying my baby!
Matsuyan!
Kesakichi!
LET.' S
Granny, what happened to the Amaya family?
Where's Matsuyan?
Don't talk about it.
You must never mention the Amaya family again.
Go to sleep.
Kesakichi, come in and warm yourself.
Granny...
"you “ed to her.
Kesakichi...
You sent Matsuyan back over to the Amayas!
Why?
Why did you have to send her back?
You killed her!
Bitch!
You demon!
Ma...
Why didn't you tell me?
Ma?
I'm going up to the mountain this winter.
My own mother went up the mountain,
as did my mother-in-law.
And I too must go up.
I find it hard living down here.
If I go up the mountain, I can meet Matsuyan there.
I can meet Matsuyan...
It's fine,
there's one less mouth to feed and your great-grandchild's now dead.
We'll get through this winter somehow.
There'll be another great-grandchild soon.
No matter how cold, Padded clothing isn't allowed...
On the mountain...
You idiot, it's not there for you to worship.
You can worship the god of the house later!
Be quick with it.
Take off your underwear, you fool!
- Here. - Quickly, get on top.
No, not there, stupid!
Yes, right there, move your hips.
I can't hold it... any longer!
It was Katsuzo the day before, Gen yesterday.
She's moving up from the west,
which means it's my turn today.
I can't stand the excitement!
She's coming.
Shit!
I'm not included?
Bastards!
Shit!
That stinking bitch!
You smelly bastard!
You don't deserve to be included!
Your wife was killed and no one wants to marry you!
Well, here's a woman who wants to marry me!
You're laughing at me, Harumatsu.
You're looking down on me, you idiot!
I'll teach you a lesson!
Right, I won't let you get away with that!
Bastard!
Harumatsu... Harumatsu... Shit!
Bastard!
I heard Oei refused to sleep with you.
I don't care, I don't care!
You can't give up on yourself like this!
I'll try my best to let you enjoy one night.
You mean Oei's coming for me?
No, not her, stupid!
Listen, one night only. No more than that.
When?
Soon.
Simmer down and stop acting crazy.
Stop acting like a fox, damaging the fields and scaring the horse!
One night only.
Listen, it's like I said last night,
just put up with him for one night.
What would we do if he killed the horse?
We'd never get through this winter.
And if he damaged the fields, well, the result's obvious.
Please, give it to him for one night.
He stinks so much, I've no money or potatoes to pay someone else.
Who told you to gamble with the potatoes?
I'm just asking you to put up with him...
Enough! I heard you!
You refused to sleep with Risuke, so he's stopped working.
I know it's because he stinks,
but you only have to put up with him for one night.
I'm sorry, but I just couldn't accept him.
I'd sooner die!
But it was your husband's last wish.
You can't simply leave Risuke out.
I visited my husband's grave this morning
and I begged him not to include that stinking son of yours.
Just then, a butterfly that size flew right up to me.
And it's still autumn!
You mean your husband became a butterfly?
Yes. Flitting about, full of joy.
He looked really happy.
So I think he agreed with me.
I have a bad nose, I can't smell a thing.
- Of course it doesn't matter, but... - So you mean you'll help us?
Well, it's not that I wouldn't like to...
...it's just that I haven't used it for so long.
I don't know whether it still works or not.
You'll be fine!
It's his first time, he wouldn't know an old one from a new one!
I'm going up tomorrow.
Tonight, bring together those elders who've been up the mountain.
But it's too soon.
Quickly, assemble them all.
Ma!
Go and call them over quickly,
otherwise they'll be heading up the mountain to work.
I saw him, I saw Rihei!
- Where? - The plain on the western mountain.
Just now, I saw him! I'll call everyone over!
Rihei, my dear!
It was his spirit.
His spirit can't return now.
I'll never forgive him!
I'll leave you to wander here, lam going up the mountain!
I don't want you to come with me, you good-for-nothing!
When I was 15, I went hunting bears with father.
On the return journey, I killed him here.
I'd told father...
...to bring grandmother up to the mountain.
He suddenly got angry and shouted at me, "What do you know?"
We started to fight.
I fired my gun at him...
...and I buried him there.
Tatsuhei...
I loved Rihei a lot,
but he's the laughing stock of the village.
It wasn't you who killed him, it was the god of the mountain.
Don't breathe a word about this, you hear me?
Tatsuhei!
Tamayan, blow the lights out.
Kesakichi, if you are done there, bring the jar of rice wine over.
Clean the bottom of the jar well.
Tatsuhei, it's a bit early but go and have a bath.
That's fine now, Tome.
Tamayan, come here a moment.
You're so good at that, Granny.
If you watch carefully in the daytime, you can see the fish playing.
Watch when the fish hide below a stone.
Remember the spot, then come back at night and catch them by hand.
You try this time.
Tatsuhei asked you to give your body to Risuke for one night?
Don't do it. You must absolutely refuse.
Put your hand carefully in there.
Caught it!
Yes, that's the way!
Now I have nothing more to teach you.
You can't tell anybody about this place.
You must only come here alone.
Going up to the mountain is an arduous task.
You must take care.
That's good rice wine.
Well done, Orin. You've prepared yourself well.
You must abide by the rules when going up the mountain.
Firstly, you may utter no words while ascending.
You must leave your home unnoticed by any other person.
The route up to Narayama starts at the foothills behind here.
Pass beneath the trees and ascend the third mountain to a pond.
Circle the pond three times, then climb the steps.
Passing over one mountain, you'll come to a deep valley.
Go around the mountain for two and a half leagues,
along a winding path called the Seven Valleys.
Through the Seven Valleys to the Horse's Back.
From there, you will find the path to Narayama.
The path up Narayama is not a clear path,
simply climb upwards and upwards, to where the god awaits you.
When coming down from Narayama, you must never look back.
If it's too much for you, go as far as the Horse's Back and come down.
This is something nobody else is allowed to hear...
...so I've told you in secret.
Here... here...
Still usable. Amazing.
Tatsuhei!
Orin?
- What happened? - He bit through the rope and ran away.
I'm ashamed of you.
Matayan, how can you offend the god of the mountain?
Don't offend the god, or your son will reject you.
Father, come back here.
What a fool.
- What are you doing? - Nothing.
It's a rabbit's tooth. A talisman.
She went back?
Ma, are you tired?
I don't need it, Ma, you have it.
For many hundred years, our ancestors have passed this path.
Many hundreds of them... thousands of them.
Maybe more.
After 25 years,
I'll be here too, Kesakichi carrying me.
And 25 years after that... Kesakichi's turn.
No other way.
I heard the god of the mountain waits at the top.
Is that true?
If there is really a god, it should snow like the song says.
After killing my father,
now I'm killing my mother.
Father!
Let go!
Father!
Go up the mountain!
It's falling!
It's falling...
The snow's falling.
Ma!
It's snowing!
Ma... you must be very cold.
Ma, you're lucky it's snowing
on the day you came up the mountain.
Ma...
It really is snowing.
Old Orin of the Neko family is blessed indeed
The snow falls on her way up Nara yama...
You must be frozen.
It snowed just perfect.
That's good.
You must be hungry.
What happened to you?
Granny's so blessed. It snowed just like in the song.
That smells so good!
From tonight, she'll be eating with us.
No matter how cold it is, You cannot wear padded clothes
It's not allowed, When ascending Narayama
No matter how hard life is here on Narayama
When the snow begins to fall
She'll be released from pain...
Cast:
OGATA Ken, SAKAMOTO Sumiko
HIDARI Tonpei, AKI Takejo
OZAWA Shoichi, TOKITA Fujio, BAISHO Mitsuko
Original stories by FUKAZAWA Shichiro Screenplay by IMAMURA Shohei
Cinematography by TOCHIZAWA Masao
Produced by TOMODA Jiro & KUSAKABE Goro
Directed by IMAMURA Shohei