Harakiri

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Moviecut—Harakiri

Seppuku opens up with a shot of the samurai battle armor. Simply a shell with nothing in it at the time. Seppuku reveals the hypocrisy and emptiness in the samurai code and that things are not always as they seem. It challenges traditional belief of honor and what is to be done and simply not to be done. Through the movie the director leads us into belief that Motome is a bad samurai. He is masterless and furthermore unable to provide for his family. It opens up with his preformed seppuku in which everything goes wrong for Motome, we see his as a horrible honor less samurai. Motome comes to the house obviously to beg for food or money. We see that his swords, the soul of the samuari, were sold for bamboo ones. Than he begs for leave seemingly to run away to not have to perform the seppuku. However, things are not as they seem. Hanshiro shows up to the house of the same group. Than, he tells the story as it actually was. Motome was actually trying to provide for his family. He sold his swords for food and comfort for his dieing wife. Then comes to the house to beg for money only so he can afford a doctor for his dying infant son as well. When Motome begs for leave before his seppuku he actually needs time to go back to his family to tell them that he was unsuccessful in getting money and they would have to find other means. What is more just or had more honor, following the samurai code, or trying to save the lives of your dying family members. The writer answers that later in the movie. Hanshiro defeats every samurai that brought his son in law back to him dead by cutting off their top knots. If the house had the honor that they said they did than these three samurai would commit seppuku. None of the samurai do. They fake an illness so their topknot can grow back. The author shows that the samurai honor is really just a front, it is just an image, like the old samurai battle armor. The code represents who they want to be, but the honor is not there. Seppuku is a great story about hypocrisy and fake honor of the samurai code.

This movie is powerful classic, that is almost perfect. It was way ahead of its time, and comes from an era when Japanese cinema was one that brought us many timeless gems. The samurai story is eternal story of well placed revenge, hypocrisy, morality, it brings philosophical examinations to the forefront. Acting is exceptional, emotion is raw, film has many subtle yet brilliant moments. Certainly one of the great classics of Japanese cinema, not to be missed by anyone.

Well what can I say.. this 1962 movie directed by Masaki Kobayashi is one of the MOST powerful movies I have ever seen in my life! It is really a tremendous example of outstanding film making! The cinematography is absolutely exceptional! However it is the haunting plot of a samurai explaining the meaningless and worthless flawed belief of the samurai spirit which grips the viewer. Tatsuya Nakadais mighty performance in Harakiri further proves for me, that he is without a doubt one of best actors in the history of film. This man takes on his roles with such prowess that it is easy for the viewer to forget that you have seen him play a different role in another movie. By the way - The Criterion 2 disk DVD version is mint! An a MUST HAVE in any fans collection.

It's quite surprising that some old masterpieces fall easily into the oblivion. Harakiri (Seppuku) is a good example. Quite simply this is one of the best Japanese movies I've ever seen. Everything is this movie is exceptional: the cinematography is top notch, the acting is very good, the direction is almost perfect. Tragedy, revenge, ethics, political contents...this movie has all of these elements wrapped in an exceptional 16th century samurai environment. The only defects I could see in this movie is that someone may feel it is slightly slow (as actually there are very few action scenes...this is not a "chambara" movie!) and the fact that it is not dubbed (at least in the Italian edition)...so you lose some of the details while reading the subtitles....that is, unless you understand Japanese. If you like black & white Japanese movies this is definitely a must see. GREAT.

"Harakiri" ("Seppuku") (Japanese, 1962): It is the 17th century. A young Samurai warrior arrives at a mansion, asking to perform his ritual death there. In a series of flashbacks, we learn who he is, why he came, and what has occurred since. Although quietly told by another ex-warrior (about whom we also learn more), this is an interesting story that builds in complexity and tension. Debates about rituals and appearances may at first seem to hold more significance in old Japan than in the contemporary United States, but it is not difficult to translate and implement such thoughts. Love, honor, duty, family, children, saving "face", determination, desperation…they all exist in OUR everyday lives. Dramatically photographed in beautiful black & white, given a strong Japanese score, and paced so that even the mildly patient will be glad they saw it, "Harakiri" is epically huge, and a must-see for story & film lovers.

I have seen this movie numerous times (at least 10, probably many more), and enjoy it each time. The first couple of times I saw it was right after it came out. It did not have sub-titles, and as my Japanese is not very good, I made some assumptions about the characters, relationships, the plot,etc. When I saw it with sub-titles, I was surprised at how few incorrect assumptions I had made. That I made so few errors is no credit to me, but rather to how well the plot, character development, character relationships, and the overall movie were done. The movie is not limited to feudal Japan, for it transcends this era. It has lessons, for those who look for this in art. For instance, just one example occurs to me now: It underscores the need for a person to stand on principle, and to maintain their honor, ethics, and dignity, even when those who are the political leaders have long since lost theirs. However for purely entertainment value, the realism, suspense, art, and action could not be better. Words fail to express how this film captivates and entertains. Few films can equal this one. It is a "must see."