The Song Lantern

The story

A self-absorbed young actor humiliates an elderly Noh performer, who then commits suicide. His act of cruelty compels his father to disown him, leading the once promising actor to a life on the streets. But his desire to win back the respect of his father and the affection of the dead actor's daughter pushes him toward a more noble existence. Naruse employed a delicately structured mise-en-scene in this family melodrama, which evokes the work of Josef von Sternberg.

Cast & crew

Shōtarō HanayagiOnchi Kitahachi

Eijirō YanagiJirozou

Ichijirō Oya

Ichijirō OyaOnchi Genjiro

Kan IshiiHenmi Sessou

Isuzu YamadaO-Sode

Eiichi Seto

Eiichi SetoGen-ichi

Masao Murata

Masao MurataMuneyama

Tamae KiyokawaCast