Ceremony

Ceremony

1971. Japan. Directed by Nagisa Oshima. Screenplay by Mamoru Sasaki, Tsutomu Tamura, Oshima. With Kenzo Kawarasaki, Atsuko Kaku, Nobuko Otowa. Oshima’s magisterial epic, centering on the ambivalent surviving heir of the Sakurada clan, uses ceremonial ritual and the microcosm of the traditional family to trace the rise and fall of militaristic Japan across several decades. The film was made in celebration of the Art Theater Guild’s 10th anniversary. In Japanese; English subtitles. 123 min.