This list excludes anime, and, to ensure variety, includes only two films from any one director.
I. Tokyo Story [1953]
Tokyo Story is one of the greatest films of all time. Director Yasujirō Ozu’s trade-mark subtlety in rendering a picture so quietly powerful is seen here as in no other film as a story is told about the post-war perception shift and the young generation’s disregard and failure to care for their elderly.
II. The Ballad of Narayama [1958]
Keisuke Kinoshita’s version of The Ballad of Narayama (1958) is superior to the now more popular 1983 version directed by Shōhei Imamura. The film is based on a 1956 novella of the same name by Shichirō Fukazawa and tells of one village and its ancient practice of ubasute, whereby the elderly, upon reaching a certain age, are taken to the mountain to die. The 1958 film’s colourful, theatrical vision gives this story much potency, emphasising its more thought-provoking elements.
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