Humanity And Paper Balloons
1937
Based in eighteenth-century Tokyo, a ronin's life is changed forever when an abducted child is held ransom in his home. Read more
| Starring | Kanemon Nakemura, Shizue Yamagishi, Chojuro Kawarasaki, Sukezo Sukedakaya |
|---|---|
| Director | Sadao Yamanaka |
| Genres | Drama |
loading...
Humanity And Paper Balloons
Based in eighteenth-century Tokyo, a ronin's life is changed forever when an abducted child is held ransom in his home.
| Starring | Kanemon Nakemura, Shizue Yamagishi, Chojuro Kawarasaki, Sukezo Sukedakaya |
|---|---|
| Director | Sadao Yamanaka |
| Studio | EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 32 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Jul 2005 Production year: 1937 |
| Format | DVD |
-
Critics' reviews
View all -
Yamanaka, a friend and contemporary of Ozu, was one of the giants of '30s Japanese cinema; this masterpiece marked the... read more on Time Out
-
Most helpful member's review
View all -
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Elegantly tragic samurai drama
This film must go down as one of the 'lost gems' of 30s cinema. 'Humanity & Paper Balloons' is tightly paced drama focusing on the lives and misfortunes of a samurai couple in a poor urban neighbourhood. Throughout the movie I got the constant sense of watching a director at the peak of his powers, with beatiful composition and strong performances contributing to an elegant, if sombre, tone. A very solid 5 stars.
-
Most recent members' review
View all -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Japanese Neo Realism
An enchanting glimpse of pre-war Japan, Humanity and Paper Balloons' humorous and intimate portrayal of slum dwellers charts the sombre decline of the samurai class without falling foul of the usual glamorizing and mythologizing of bushido. Sadao Yamanaka's film instead plays more like Vittorio De Sica's Ladri di Biciclette, revealing characters struggling to live amid a faltering social order.
Kudos to Eureka for yet another fine addition to their 'Masters of Cinema' series. It's reassuring to know there're increasingly accessable means of finding some of the most wonderful films by the most inventive and interesting directors in international cinema. -
More like this
View allShowing 1 to 4 of 20
Related user collection
The greatest stories ever told (22)
60% from 2 members
Showing 1 to 3 of 22
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
-
-
- Humanity And Paper Balloons
- DVD: £8.93
Free Delivery - RRP £19.79 (you save: 55%)
Based in eighteenth-century Tokyo, a ronin's life is changed forever when an abducted child is held ransom in his home.... -