The Ceremony (儀式, Gishiki) is a 1971 film from Japanese director Nagisa Oshima. The film takes place in postwar Japan, following a Japanese clan through their wedding and funeral ceremonies, and the lengths the family goes to preserve their traditions in spite of the damage it causes to the younger generations.
The film begins with Masuo Sakurada receiving a telegram from his cousin Terumichi. He is traveling with his cousin Ritsuko to check out his cabin and see if the telegram is true. Masuo has a flashback to the ceremony on the first anniversary of his father's death, after he and his mother repatriated to Japan from Manchuria. Because his younger brother died before they returned from Manchuria, Masuo is expected to live for two sons.
Throughout each of the ceremonies, the tangled family web is revealed, with numerous instances of incest that make the relationships between each of the family members somewhat unclear. The continued incest is not only expected amongst the family. Masuo himself is interested in Setsuko, and later Ritsuko, and finds himself in competition with Terumichi for them.
Masuo finds himself sacrificing much of his freedom for the family. He has a talent
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