Review of Harakiri (1962) by Bill C — 22 Aug 2010

Harakiri is an intensely involving film about personal devotion, honor, and most emotional of all, loneliness. The story is told through and to Tsugomo, one of many samurai who due to political changes have been left wandering the countryside, throwing themselves at the mercy of still standing homes, looking for handouts or at the worst, a place to commit ceremonial seppuku.

And although the historical relevancy is interesting, it is not what stands out as most emotional. The film is photographed wide, filled with empty frames with dark corners. The imagery emits an almost constant sense of isolation, as various characters are seen to face their final moments, often in the deepest desperation.

Harakiri, although on the surface a tale of disrupting tradition and corruption, is deep down about death, and the act of awareness in life and death.