Review of Harakiri (1962) by Ben L — 08 May 2017

I guess this is where I look like the big, dumb, ignorant American. I've never been all that fond of foreign films because of reading subtitles. Many times I've been able to get over that because the action and story have overshadowed that aspect. In Harakiri it was much harder. A big part of my problem is the fact that this whole movie is just guys telling stories. So there's a lot of dialogue, and it feels like I'm reading a book.

Now that's basically the only major problem I had with Harakiri. If I was reading this as a book it would be a thrilling one. The characters experience some heavy emotional battles, and the confrontations between the ronin and the members of the house of Iyi are intense. There's even a few actual sword fights in the film, including one at the climax that is crazy. I certainly wouldn't call Harakiri boring, which was a concern considering all that dialogue.

Tatsuya Nakadai is superb in the lead role. He has a line delivery that makes it clear he's pretty much dead inside. However, he also has a few moments where he shows more emotion, and it works so we know what he's feeling. Akira Ishihama was also great as the younger ronin. His desperation was palpable. The violence and blood is about what you'd expect from a movie titled after a method of suicide, even in black-and-white it's tough to watch.

I was unsure where the plot would go from the beginning, and I loved the first story. On the flip side, it seemed that once Tsugumo got into his story I knew where it was heading. There was a lot I saw coming in that tale, and I kind of wanted it to go a little faster. Again, I admit that I'm being a dummy with a short attention span. I can see why Harakiri is so beloved, and I liked it. There were just a couple of aspects that didn't fit my personal taste and kept me from loving it.