Harakiri (Seppuku)

Post by **Evan Kubota** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:05 pm

IMO, this may be the finest jidai-geki ever made (although it's not a true jidai-geki, only in terms of the setting). Currently my favorite Japanese film (although I haven't seen Ugetsu yet).

Has anyone else seen this? I need to get my hands on Kobayashi's "The Human Condition" trilogy, but the DVDs are unfortunately long OOP.

Post by **Actor** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:40 am

I've seen it.

Years ago there was a series, The Japanese Film, on PBS here in the US. Harakiri was one of the films shown. I do not recall any of the other films so I guess it made an impression on me.

I don't think it would make a very good spaghetti western. :lol:

Post by **freddiesykes** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:22 am

I've been meaning to purchase the Criterion release of that since it came out, although I have yet to see it. It sounds like an incredible film.

The local college art-house theatre plays classics all the time - during one of their Japanese series (after they had a full blown Kurosawa retrospective) they showed Ugetsu. Although the print was a little worn - this was before the DVD release, I am still blown away by that film. I can't describe the effect it had on me when I saw it and the images left in my mind. I litererally walked for an hour dressed all in black at two in the morning through the quiet streets. What's funny is that I haven't yet bought that disc. I suppose the costs of making a short have something to do with that (and why I haven't bought the Yakuza Papers box yet).

Japanese cinema is brilliant. Probably my favourite. I guess that's why I own so many DVDs of Japanese films (with many more on my wish list)..

Post by **Evan Kubota** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:17 pm

The Yakuza Papers set is also excellent. I've watched the first three films (so many DVDs... so little time.)

<<SPOILERS BELOW>>

"I don't think it would make a very good spaghetti western."

Unlike most of Kurosawa's work, Harakiri is highly dependent on the Japanese setting. In that sense, you're right - however, I could easily imagine a similar story except with duels - an old west tradition that is maybe somewhat similar to seppuku in its ritualistic nature.

The synopsis would be something like this:

One night, an aging gunfighter enters a gloomy, abandoned town dominated by a corrupt sheriff, who he challenges to a duel. As the appointed hour approaches, the gunfighter waits in a bar and reveals the circumstances that led him here - his adopted son was killed in a duel with the same sheriff as he went to the town looking for medicine for his sick, dying infant son.

The duel is at dawn. The gunfighter kills the sheriff, then is shot down by dozens of minions who swarm out from the shabby buildings and appear on rooftops. The town bookkeeper records a transcript of the incident in his ledger book.

It's definitely doable, although it would lose some cultural resonance...

Post by **Evan Kubota** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 10:00 am

Continuing my viewing of Kobayashi.. I watched Samurai Rebellion (Joi-uchi) tonight. Also excellent, and great companion film to Harakiri (as Donald Richie emphasizes in the essay, a 'completely new product' from Toei). I think Harakiri is more elegantly constructed and forceful in its thesis (although there is a nested flashback sequence in Samurai Rebellion that is expertly handled) but Rebellion has a somewhat more compelling human story, with Mifune cast against type as a retired samurai and father figure. The emphasis on women's issues is strange for the era and probably Kobayashi and Hashimoto's emphasis more than the studio or producers.