The Song Lantern

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

Shōtarō Hanayagi

Onchi Kitahachi

Eijirō Yanagi

Jirozou

Ichijirō Oya

Onchi Genjiro

Kan Ishii

Henmi Sessou

Isuzu Yamada

O-Sode

Eiichi Seto

Gen-ichi

Masao Murata

Muneyama

Tamae Kiyokawa