Year: 1962
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Ever since I saw my first Japanese film, Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood, I have been in love with classic Japanese cinema. Usually when you hear about Japanese Cinema cinephiles will be discussing the works or Yasujiro Ozu, Kenji Mizuguchi or Akira Kurosawa, but today I will discuss Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri. I was introduced to it by my former film professor Michael Boyce and I recently bought the impressive 2 Disk Criterion Collection Edition.
Harakiri is set in 17th-century Japan where peace causes the Shogunate's breakup of warrior clans, throwing thousands of samurai out of work and into poverty. An honorable end to such fate under the samurai code is ritual suicide. An elder warrior, Hanshiro Tsugumo (Tatsuya Nakadai) seeks admittance to the house of a feudal lord to commit the act. here, he learns of the fate of his son-in-law, a young samurai who sought work at the house but was instead barbarically forced to commit traditional hara-kiri in an excruciating manner with a dull bamboo blade. Tsugumo sets in motion an act of revenge against the house.
Samurai films have the ability to tell the most complex and challenging stories on the ethical and moral questions of a character in the form of tradition and human tragedy.Harakiri is one of the most powerful and also the most complex because its story not only questions the morality of the individuals within the context of the story but it also questions the way of the Bushido Code that the samurai's have always respected and honored. This film asks of the audience to question tradition and to think for themselves. If a "code" clashes with ones morals or what they think is right then rebellion is the only intelligent way to act.
Harakiri is not only great because it exposes a long honoured code and it's flawed system that hides behind a façade of respect and honor, but because it is well made. Kobayashi makes a film that looks and feels like no other Japanese film before or after it. It's a long film but beautiful in every sense of that word. There are few flaws in this film, even the acting by Tatsuya Nakadai is remarkable. He's no Toshiro Mifune (Throne of Blood) but he definitley is close.
In conclusion, Harakiri should be regarded as one of the greatest samurai films ever made. It is bold in vision, entertaining and political. A swift call for rebellion that will entice viewers of any age. It leaves me wondering if Samurai of that period actually did argue against the code, surely some must have. Regardless, this film is a definite must-see. Praise it! 5/5
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