"Narayama Bushi-Ko"
1958
Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita

An old legend, The Ballad of Narayama, inspired this moving drama about two elderly people struggling against a harsh but ingrained tradition. Their village home is poor, and as a consequence, upon reaching the age of 70 inhabitants are expected to retreat to an exposed mountain top to meet the gods of Narayama. This prize-winning film combines Kabuki theater with film techniques to render a complex view of fate, duty and despair. Japanese with English subtitles.
97 minutes.