Review of Harakiri (1962) by Sidney W — 06 Aug 2008
Watched Masaki Kobayahi's "Harakiri" (1962) last night, which is available in a Criterion edition. The set-up is that a down-and-out ronin shows up at an estate and asks to kill himself in their courtyard, a kind of backhanded way of asking for a handout.
But it's soon clear that something else is up. It's a samurai movie that questions the samurai tradition. As our hero, Hanshiro argues, "Samurai honor is a facade." Yet, of course, he's quite the samurai.
It's wonderfully acted and directed, great cinematography and writing (I believe it's by the author of "Rashomon").
This review of Harakiri (1962) was written by Sidney W on 06 Aug 2008.
Harakiri has generally received very positive reviews.
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