Ballad of Narayama (1958)

Perhaps the only film this one can be compared to is Masahiro Shinoda's Double Suicide. Although Ballad of Narayama is the earlier work, both were attempts to translate traditional Japanese theater tropes to the screen. In this one, director Keisuke Kinoshita presents us with a kabuki play on film. Based off the classic legend, Ballad of Narayama is presented in glorious 'Scope and Technicolor. Everything here is artificial, the backdrops are all matte paintings, and the sets elaborately constructed and decorated. The use of color in this film is a milestone on par with Black Narcissus and Gone with the Wind. What is impressive is how well the kabuki elements play out on film; Ballad of Narayama is richly cinematic. The final act alone constitutes one of the most impressive set pieces ever constructed. Alas, this is a difficult film. The theatrical elements either become too overpowering at times, or they serve to distance the audience, and the film sadly falls into the same pitfalls a great deal of heavily stylized works fall into. If it were not for the cinematic and emotionally ravishing final act this would be more of an interesting artistic experiment than a great film. And I am not sure it was the best introduction to Kinoshita, his contemporary dramas like A Japanese Tragedy and Fireworks Over the Sea look more interesting and powerful. By all means, this is definitely worth watching, and a great film, but not without its issues.