The Ballad of Narayama (1983)

Sumiko Sakamoto: Orin

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Quotes 

• Tomekichi : Granny, what happened to Amaya's Omitsu and the others? What about Matsu-yan?

  Orin : Tome, don't talk about it. Don't ever talk about Amaya, ever again. Go to bed.

• Orin : Risuke found out you ostracized him, and now he hardly works. I know you're repelled by his stink, but please, can't you bear it for just one night?

  Oei : I'm sorry... anybody but him. I'd die.

  Orin : But it was your husband's last wish. Or did it exclude Risuke?

  Oei : Early this morning I went to his grave. I pleaded with my husband to let me skip that stinking yakko. And then a butterfly, this big, came flying by. And it's autumn.

  Orin : Your husband became a butterfly?

  Oei : That's right. He was frolicking about, and seemed happy. So I returned home with a clean conscience.

• Orin : As I told the salt-dealer... I'm going to the mountain soon.

  Tamayan : You shouldn't be in such a hurry to go to the mountain.

  Orin : Not so, the sooner you go, the more praise the mountain god gives us.

• Kesakichi : You made Matsu-yan go to the Amaya's! Why? Why did you make her go there? Granny, you murdered her! Damn you! Demon hag!

  Tatsuhei : Mom. Why didn't you tell me? Mom...

  Orin : This winter... I'm going to the mountain. My mother went to the mountain, as did the mother-in-law of our home. So I have to go too. It's tough living here. If I go to the mountain, I'll see Matsu-yan. I'm going to see Matsu-yan.

  Tamayan : It's all right. There's one less mouth to feed, and the rat is dead too. We'll make it through the winter.

• Kesakichi : Granny, you got such healthy teeth. You could eat anything, pinecones, even fart-beans.

  Orin : I've never eaten anything like that.

  Kesakichi : You got 33 teeth, gran!

  Orin : Don't be stupid, I only have 28.

  Kesakichi : Yeah, right. You just can't count past 28, that's all.

• Orin : I don't care if he is a spirit. I won't forgive him!

• Okane : I... I envy you, Orin-san.

  Orin : What for?

  Okane : I wish I could live longer...

  Orin : But being as healthy as I am is embarrassing. I eat a full portion.

  Okane : I want to go to the mountain... I don't want to die of sickness. They'll just bury me here.

  Orin : It's all the same. Either way, our spirits go to the mountain... We'll all meet again on the mountain.

  Okane : Will we all meet again?

  Orin : We will all meet again. Your husband's waiting for you. I don't know about my husband, though.

• Tatsuhei : You really don't know why Dad went away?

  Orin : That year you were fifteen, and Risuke was five. We had a bad harvest... That year, we sold my newborn daughter to the salt-dealer. Rihei's mother had just turned my age, 69. It was time for her to go to Narayama. It was one bad thing after another. Rihei became depressed. He couldn't carry his mother to the mountain. The law is the law. Pity gets you nowhere. He acted like he was the only one suffering, and ran away. He shamed us in front of the entire village. You will too, probably...

  Tatsuhei : I'm different. I'm not like my dad.

  Orin : I wonder.

• Tatsuhei : When I was 15, Dad and I went hunting bear. On our way home, I killed him. It was right here. I told him that he should carry granny to the mountain. He said, 'what do you know?' And suddenly became very angry. We got in a fight, and I shot him. I buried him there.

  Orin : Tatsuhei. I loved Rihei, but he shamed us in front of the entire village. It wasn't you that killed him. It was the mountain god. Don't ever tell anyone. Understand?

• Orin : Look for the fish during the day, and you'll find schools of them. When you approach, they'll hide under particular rocks. Just remember where they go hide, come back in the evening, and grab 'em. Now let's see you do it.