Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai

[GeneChing]

From an L.A. Times article I just posted on the 13 Assassins thread

After avoiding the genre for so long, Miike has already taken on a second samurai picture: "Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai," his remake of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 classic, "Harakiri," will premiere next month at the Cannes Film Festival in a prestigious slot in the main competition and is his first work in 3-D.

[GeneChing]

...with teaser trailer.

[Sardinkahnikov]

I sure hope that they don't fvck it up. The original Harakiri kicked @ss.

[Lucas]

I sure hope that they don't fvck it up. The original Harakiri kicked @ss.

seriously.....I will cry... but i have faith in miike so we'll see...

[GeneChing]

I've followed Miike through some pretty harrowing films - ones that I almost regret because of the scars they left on my retinas - but I keep coming back for more. I'll in 100% on this.

And I totally agree with you, Sardinkahnikov. The original Harakiri was one of the greatest chanbara ever. EVER. A Cannes prize winner.

The first time I saw that was in HI and I was really young, too young to understand it really. I'm not even sure I saw the whole thing. I saw it later after I had studied some kendo and or course, it all made sense. The funny thing is I didn't quite realize that I had seen the film as a kid. Then when the finale fight happened, I realized I saw it before. It was "I remember this! I love this!!"

[Lucas]

Rotten tear ducts

That's where I'm at basically. I like all miike I've seen..and he has a pretty mixed up ride. Granted I haven't seen all...i hope that the story is changed in some details though, I don't think you can beat the original but by keeping the base story and changing some things around it will at least keep the spirit yet be somewhat unique while still familiar.

[Sardinkahnikov]

Hanshiro Tsugumo's duel with the third retainer is truly a work of art.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l86JyKO--Ts

Nice to meet a fellow kendoka, Gene. It's funny how many dumb westerners get into kendo or any other Japanese martial art in order to play samurai. They love to talk about bushido and how it makes them "modern samurai" (seriously, I've heard that kind of thing).

Of course, they never lasted beyond a couple sets of kakarigeiko...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mBWfdojIs

A whole week consisting mostly of kakarigeiko is a great way to weed out the cosplayers

Some people love to talk about bushido this, bushido that. And how some love to use the concept to impose their miguided morals upon you!

Don't try to hide purposeless violence, cowardice, prejudice or any other shameful feelings or acts under the guise of "honor". That's what Harakiri is about, at least in my opinion.

Everyone interested in martial arts, specially in japanese ones, should watch this movie.

[GeneChing]

The original: Harakiri (1962)

Miike's gem of a film about honor onto death
August 15, 2012
By: Janos Gereben


Ebizo Ichikawa in "Hara Kiri"
Credits: Studio courtesy


Takashi Miike's "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai" opens with amazing narrative simplicity, and then quickly becomes a magnificently complex gripping drama. This 3D variation on Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 "Harakiri" channels the spirit of some of the great postwar Japanese filmmakers.

The film, coming to San Francisco's 4-Star Theater on Aug. 17, is among the very best of Miike's works. At age 52, he has produced a panoply of 88 divergent films, ranging from violent gangster movies such as "The City of Lost Souls" to the grand samurai saga of "13 Assassins."

Besides its Shakespearean depth and sustained dramatic suspense, "Hara-Kiri" is also marvelously clear. In just a few minutes, the film sets out and explains its premise: a samurai comes to a castle, requesting permission to commit ritual suicide in a proper setting.

He is among the multitude of warriors, who have lost their positions as feudal rivalry subsided in the 17th century. The ronins - unemployed samurai - were prevented by social convention to work as "common people," so many of them resolved their hopeless situation by hara-kiri.

But, as Miike's film immediately posits, the other side of the coin is ronins posing as candidates for suicide only to beg for a position or financial support.

The hero of "Hara-Kiri" (Ebizo Ichikawa, in a masterful performance) is suspected of attempting such a suicide bluff, and in a series of flashbacks, he is warned by the example of a young ronin (Eita Nagayama) who was forced to use his wooden sword (having been forced by poverty to sell the real weapon) to disembowel himself.

Real intent to commit hara-kiri or a bluff? No more of the plot will be told here, but be assured that the story develops in unexpected and intriguing twists and turns.

This is Miike's first 3D film, and those who have seen it in the proper projection had some complaints about excessively dark, even fuzzy scenes. In 2D projection, the film is rather dark, but Nobuyasu Kita's cinematography comes across impressively. The whole cast is magnificent, and "Hara-Kiri" is sure to stay with you for a long time.

'Hara-Kiri' review: sumptuous chess game
G. Allen Johnson
Updated 4:48 p.m., Thursday, August 16, 2012


Eita plays Motome, a lone samurai, in Takashi Miike's "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai." Photo: Tribeca Film / SF

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

WILD APPLAUSE Drama.

Starring Eita, Koji Yakusho. Directed by Takashi Miike. In Japanese with English subtitles. (Not rated. 126 minutes.)

Takashi Miike must be getting soft in his maturing years (he's 52). Kinda nice to see.

The outrageous bad boy of Japanese cinema, who has averaged three or four films a year for 20 years, has always seemed to go with his worst instincts - often to our delight. But his seeming desire to go as far over the top as possible has made him one of the sloppiest geniuses around.

Suddenly, he has the patience of an old master. For the second time out, he has made an elegant, feeling, brutal film that is a remake of a 1960s classic. In 2010, it was "13 Assassins." This time, it's a riff on Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 classic, "Harakiri."

Set in 1630 during a time of economic hardship, "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai" opens with a wandering ronin (basically a samurai without a job), Motome (Eita), arriving at the compound of a rich lord (Koji Yakusho), asking permission to commit hara-kiri, a ritual suicide. Do it on such impressive ground, and the stature of the ronin's death increases.

The lord suspects him of bluffing, trying to get a handout to save the trouble of the clean-up. What he doesn't know is why Motome is really there. Turns out Motome's son tried this same ruse, and the lord's clan cruelly forced him to commit suicide.

Takashi's film is sumptuous, with rich cinematography, costumes and set design. Half the time it is a game of chess - the battle of wits between Motome and the lord. Half of the time it is a moving melodrama, tracing the backstory of Motome's family, including his son, daughter and grandson, all of whom would have had a life of plenty, had not the inhumane codes of the ruling elite gotten in the way.

G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com

[Jimbo]

I will have to see this. Miike already showed he could make a great samurai film in 13 Assassins. I'm really glad it wasn't Americans who tried to remake Harakiri. But I will see it in 2D. I don't care for 3D.

[Lucas]

Ya i saw it playing locally, but it is the 3d version. Does anyone know if it was filmed for 3d specifically? i'm not a huge fan of 3d fuzzy films like some people complained about on this one...i dont know if it will be back around in 2d though in my city, its only playing at one small theater that plays indy and foreign films...

[GeneChing]

Seriously, I know you're a fan of the original like me. How was Miike's take on it?

[Lucas]

I'm sorry i mispoke... i meant to say that i saw that it is currently playing locally. but i am hesitant to watch the 3d version but i may this weekend as i may not have another chance to see it in a theater...sorry!!! if i end up watching it, i will post a review.

[Lucas]

I'm going to watch it saturday I believe.

[Lucas]

As it turns out, hara-kiri stopped playing last night...unable to bear this shame I feel compelled to perform hara-kiri in that theaters lobby to rectify this unfortunate turn of events.

[GeneChing]

Lucas, I would be honored to serve as your kaishakunin.