The Ballad of Narayama is not a tale of noble samurai or skilled swordsmanship. It’s about a small, very poor, rural feudal Japanese village in the middle of nowhere, where avoiding starvation is the primary goal. Instead of glorious battles filled with banners flapping brightly in the wind, there is a far more intimate war being waged within the hamlet. And like any war, it’s not pretty. The unfolding story provides tremendous insight to a side of Japanese culture that few see. I was very happy with the DVD, which often had two sets of subtitles going on, one set for the dialog and another set for the definition of words and customs not well known outside Japan. A must-see for those who love films from and about Japan.
