Review of Harakiri (1962) by Nate A — 05 Oct 2008

The film opens and closes with an empty suit of samurai armor. This ought to give you a pretty big hint as to what the movie is about. This is a damning portrayal of Bushido, which is no surprise considering Kobayashi's past. He's deeply critical of Japan's martial traditions, whether modern or samurai. Inhumanity wrapped in codes, rules, and nobility, but are in fact hollow and meaningless.

The pace is very slow, with long conversations and little action or even any movement. Some would see this as slow, but I felt this crawling tempo gives the film a kind of creeping menace, a sense of impending and inevitable doom, which leads up to the explosive finale. It also features one of the most gruesome scenes I've ever seen in a movie.

Beautifully shot and acted, with an incredible amount of emotion, this is one of the best samurai films I've ever seen.