The Ballad of Narayama (1958 film)

The Ballad of Narayama
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKeisuke Kinoshita
Written byKeisuke Kinoshita
Based onNarayama-bushi kō
by Shichirō Fukazawa
Produced by
  • Masaharu Kokaji
  • Ryuzo Otani
Starring
CinematographyHiroyuki Kusuda
Edited byYoshi Sugihara
Music by
  • Chūji Kinoshita
  • Matsunosuke Nozawa
Production
company
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • 1 June 1958 (1958-06-01) (Japan)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

The Ballad of Narayama (Japanese: 楢山節考, Hepburn: Narayama-bushi Kō) is a 1958 Japanese historical drama film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It is based on the 1956 novella of the same name by Shichirō Fukazawa. The film explores the legendary practice of ubasute, in which elderly people were carried to a mountain and abandoned to die.