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Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

Posted By: Someonelse
Date: 8 Mar 2015 14:24:00
Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

Harakiri (1962)
A Film by Masaki Kobayashi
DVD9 + DVD5 | VIDEO_TS | NTSC 16:9 | 02:12:47 | 6,76 Gb + 1,85 Gb
Audio: Japanese AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English | Cover + Booklet
Genre: Drama | The Criterion Collection #302

Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita

Following the collapse of his clan, an unemployed samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the manor of Lord Iyi, begging to be allowed to commit ritual suicide on the property. Iyi’s clansmen, believing the desperate ronin is merely angling for a new position, try to force his hand and get him to eviscerate himself—but they have underestimated his beliefs and his personal brand of honor. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize, Harakiri, directed by Masaki Kobayashi is a fierce evocation of individual agency in the face of a corrupt and hypocritical system.

IMDB | Criterion | DVDBeaver | Wikipedia | Rotten Tomatoes

The retainer log book for the Official Residence of Lord Iyi reports that at midday on an otherwise uneventful day on the thirteenth of May 1630, during the absence of the Honorable Heir Bennosuke, a gaunt, former retainer of the Lord of Geishu arrives at the mansion gates and is granted an interview with the Iyi clan elder, Saito Kayegu (Rentaro Mikuni). The solemn and enigmatic ronin (masterless samurai), Tsugumo Hanshiro (Tatsuya Nakadai), has led a dire life of poverty since the abolition of the Geishu clan in 1619, and now expresses his desire to die with dignity and commit harakiri (ritual disembowelment) in the sanctity of warlord grounds. However, in an era of peace with few employment prospects for samurai in the dwindling local feudal clans that were allowed to remain after the centralization of power by the Tokugawa shogunate, the request has become commonplace. Spurred by reports of generosity and benevolence towards the destitute ronins among the surviving clans, many desperate samurai have insincerely requested admission to commit harakiri with the expectation of being turned away with a small pittance.

Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

Saito cautions Tsugumo against making such a request, citing a pathetic and tragic incident involving another Geishu retainer, Chijiwa Motome (Akira Ishihama), who insincerely threatened harakiri as a ruse to obtain charity, and was compelled by the Iyi retainers to carry out the agonizing ritual using only a bamboo blade - the empty tokens of his privileged class pawned long ago to provide for his family. Undeterred, Tsugumo reaffirms his determination to perform the sacred act of seppuku (the disembowelment ritual performed in the presence of a second officiate swordsman who carries out the final head cutting), and requests the services of swordsman, Omodaka Hikokuro (Tetsuro Tamba), to act as his second officiate. Upon learning that Omodaka has taken a leave of absence, Tsugumo names two other Iyi retainers to carry out the task, Kawabe Umenosuke (Yoshio Aoki), then Yazaki Hayato (Ichirô Nakaya), to no avail. As Tsugumo waits for the indisposed retainers, he proceeds to recount the story of his disillusioned life that led to this fateful day.

Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

Based on a novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi, Harakiri is a scathing indictment on the hypocrisy, repression, and barbarism of codified behavior. Using rigid rectangular framing against fluid tracking shots and exquisitely composed long shots that delineate class station and social disparity, Masaki Kobayashi visually reflects the oppressive confinement and regimentation of the samurai bushido (code of conduct): the title sequence presented against shots of the empty passageways that lead to the sacred chamber of the Iyi clan's ancestral armor; the isolating, diagonal shots of Saito's interviews with Tsugumo and Chijiwa; the repeated image of Tsugumo on a ceremonial mat encircled by retainers. By illustrating the class stratification and imposed social conformity fostered by the Tokugawa shogunate (1600-1867) as a means of retaining and centralizing authority, Kobayashi presents a harrowing indictment of the ingrained cultural legacy of coercive, outmoded rituals, chauvinism, and blind obedience that resulted in the inhumanity and senseless tragedy of the Pacific War.
Strictly Film School
Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

Harakiri is directly translated as “belly cutting,” and is the name best known in the West for Seppuku, a traditional act of suicide that was considered an honorable method of death amongst the Samurai. This film is also part of the Criterion Collection and is regarding by many as a classic. Criterion has recognized both the importance and the excellence of Harakiri, and put forth a DVD worthy of the film. So, I watched the movie and well… I loved it. The day after watching it I told my friends about it and I found most people hated the movie. Not because it was a bad movie, but because of how it made people feel about themselves. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi, the film deals with ONE individuals attack against the corruption and arrogance of the state.

Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

I do not want to ruin the picture for anyone by giving anything away. The viewers are allowed to look closer at the noble Samurai code of behavior and to reflect on how its abuse impacts the fate of an individual and the society in general. The film shows us some historical background. Thousands of ex-retainers had been thrown out of their positions, made into ronin, by the Shogunate’s abolishing of clans. This film raises many issues. It is Kobayashi’s impassioned protest against rigidly militaristic societies that uphold hypocritical codes of bushido while disdaining what that term really means. In regards to the aftermath of both World War II and the Tokugawa shogunate, Kobayashi points out that the individuals of the lower socioeconomic levels suffer far worse than those in power, as those in power always find away to bend the rules to their favor.

Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

This is Nakadai’s finest performance in a long and distinguished career, a tour de force of naturalist minimal acting. The director paces the film very slowly – by comparison, many Kurosawa and even Ozu films are breezy, and of course contemporary American films move approximately 800x faster. Although slow in pace, Kobayashi does not shy away from showing the darker aspects of feudal Japan. This leads to a massive bloody battle on the grounds of the house, destroying any honor left in the Honor of Iyi. Even more outrageous is the subsequent massive cover-up of the incident by the house leader. In the end, the House of Iyi proves to be even more dishonorable than the man they persecuted and their honor proves to be superficial, which to them is better than being known to be dishonorable. As the story leads to its bloody climax the daring father in law reveals that he has taken the top-knot of three samurai who directly handled his son’s execution.

Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

This action vividly portrayed that the House of Iyi, and possibly other houses, was corrupt and had no honor. This movie should be in every serious cinephile’s collection, based solely on the strength of the acting and story telling. Harakiri is an awesome story of revenge told with devastating effect. By the time you know what the story is really about, you yourself have cast judgement on the characters. Then things turn on you, and nothing appears as it did before. An excellent movie concerning issues we all deal with near or far, in any language or country, regardless of time or space. Dark, moody and gripping, Harakiri remains as a perfect example of excellent Japanese filmmaking.
Japan//Cinema
Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]
Harakiri / Seppuku (1962) [The Criterion Collection #302] [ReUp]

Special Features:
- High-definition digital restoration
- Video introduction by Japanese-film historian Donald Richie
- Excerpt from a rare Directors Guild of Japan video interview with director Masaki Kobayashi, moderated by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda
- Video interviews with star Tatsuya Nakadai and screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto
- Original theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Joan Mellen and a reprint of Mellen’s 1972 interview with Kobayashi

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