Harakiri

"After all, this thing we call samurai honor is ultimately nothing but a facade."

Harakiri (also known as Seppuku) is a 1962 samurai film that takes place in 17th-century Japan, and concerns the tale of a man, stripped of his master and everything dear to him in the so-called “samurai code,” appears at the doorstep of the Li clan, hoping to commit ritual hara-kiri/seppuku on the property, although what follows is most unexpected.

All throughout the run time of Harakiri, three pivotal details interlaced into this film kept jumping out at me. There were plenty of other positives, sure, but these quoted “three details” were the most prominent out of any (and all) other options. So, with that in mind, what were these three things, exactly? Let’s break it down.

Tatsuya Nakadai. Tatsuya Nakadai, Tatsuya Nakadai, Tatsuya Nakadai: this actor (who just so happens to play the lead role in this film) nearly carried Harakiri all the way to its glorious climax. Of course, the other performances were great, and there are certainly many more treasures to behold other than just one single performance, but take it as this: I don’t often say a certain aspect “carries” a film, and Harakiri is most definitely a case in which I’m not just saying it for dramatic effect. This performance is truly something that needs to be witnessed by oneself: we see acting nuances in his fighting, grief, and spirit… it all came together so impeccably well here, so much so that I can’t say anything other than something along the lines of, “You need to see it to believe it.”

Harakiri, Image 1

Harakiri, Image 2

Harakiri, Image 3

The action sequences. Surprisingly, Harakiri isn’t so much all about hyper-violent sword fighting scenes as some other notable examples are: this film, instead, chooses to only intersplice its action sequences into the story for character and plot development, not just popcorn-munching filler. However, when these action sequences are on screen, they are glorious in every sense of the word; the cinematography is spot on, the fighting itself is extremely professional, and, overall, it was just some really, really nice action. What else can I say but that?

And, finally: the message. Oh, the message. Not only does Harakiri serve as a wonderful work filled with great acting, fantastic characters, and (more than) solid action scenes, but its underlying themes of true honor and hypocrisy within a sacred system remain more than relevant in today’s world as well.

So, yes, overall, Harakiri is a wonderful film: it’s stacked with layers upon layers of positive aspects, and it also still manages to be as relevant as it was in 1962 as it is now. Harakiri is, quite truly, a masterpiece.

10/10- With genius acting, professional action sequences, and a message that will remain important for many years to come, Harakiri stands out as one of the better samurai films, alike to it and not: quite even one of the best films in general.