Harakiri
Directed by	Masaki Kobayashi
Produced by	Tatsuo Hosoya
Written by	Shinobu Hashimoto Yasuhiko Takiguchi
Starring	Tatsuya Nakadai Rentaro Mikuni Shima Iwashita Akira Ishihama
Distributed by	Shochiku Films Ltd.
Release date	September 16, 1962 (Japan)
Running time	135 min.
Language	Japanese
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Harakiri (切腹, Seppuku) (1962) is a Japanese film directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The story takes place between 1619 and 1630 during the Edo period and the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate. It tells of a ronin, Hanshiro Tsugumo, who instead of committing seppuku after his lord was disposed, chose to stay alive in order to look for his daughter and the son of another samurai who had committed the ritual suicide. Image File history File links Harakiri_Poster. ... Masaki Kobayashi (小林正樹 Kobayashi Masaki, February 14, 1916–October 4, 1996) was a Japanese director who is probably best known for Kwaidan (怪談), a collection of four ghost stories (drawn from the book by Lafcadio Hearn), each of which has a surprise ending. ... Shinobu Hashimoto (橋本 忍助手 Hashimoto Shinobu) (April 18, 1918-) was a Japanese screenwriter, director, producer, and frequent collaborator with Akira Kurosawa. ... Japanese leading actor Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代達矢 Nakadai Tatsuya) became a star after he was discovered working as a shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the 1950s. ... Rentaro Mikuni (Japanese: 三國連太郎; born January 20, 1923) is a Japanese actor from Gumma. ... Iwashita Shima (岩下志麻; real name 篠田志麻;Shinoda Shima born January 3, 1941 Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese actress. ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Masaki Kobayashi (小林正樹 Kobayashi Masaki, February 14, 1916–October 4, 1996) was a Japanese director who is probably best known for Kwaidan (怪談), a collection of four ghost stories (drawn from the book by Lafcadio Hearn), each of which has a surprise ending. ... Events May 13 - Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after having been accused of treason. ... Events February 22 - Native American Quadequine introduces Popcorn to English colonists. ... The Edo period (Japanese: 江戸時代, Edo-jidai), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1867. ... The Tokugawa shogunate or Tokugawa bakufu (徳川幕府) (also known as the Edo bakufu) was a feudal military dictatorship of Japan established in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family until 1868. ... Graves of 47 Ronin at Sengakuji A ronin (Japanese: 浪人 rōnin: literally, wave man - one who is tossed about, like a wave in the sea) was a masterless samurai during the feudal period of Japan that lasted from 1185 to 1868. ... Seppuku with ritual attire and second (staged) General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit Seppuku after losing a battle for his master in 1582. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ...

Plot

At the start of the film, Hanshiro Tsugumo shows up at the house of a feudal lord, Kageyu Saito, looking for a suitable place to commit seppuku. At the time, it is told, it was fairly common for disgraced samurai to make the same request, or threat, in order to receive a pittance from the lord of the house. To discourage Hanshiro, Kageyu Saito recounts the story of another ronin, Motome Chijiiwa, who made the same request earlier in the year and was forced by the samurai retainers of the house to go through with the threat. Tsugumo is not discouraged, however, and looks determined to prove that he isn't making idle threats. Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... A lord is a male who has power and authority. ... A retainer can be a person being part of the retinue (suite, train) of a dignitary etcetera, either performing personal services such as man servant, pageboy, bodyguard, or rather occasionally in proximity such as a minstrel the part of a contractualy due sum that is payed in advance, while the...

While getting ready for the suicide, Hanshiro Tsugumo recounts his tale to Kageyu Saito and his retainers. His lord's house was considered a threat and toppled by forces of the shogunate. His friend, another samurai, committed seppuku and left Tsugumo to look after his son, who it turns out was Motome Chijiiwa. With the responsibility of looking after Chijiiwa and also his own daughter Miho, Hanshiro is unable to choose the 'honorable' way to end his life, and instead has to live in poverty and work menial jobs in order to support his family.

When they get older, Motome Chijiiwa and Miho Tsugumo end up getting married and have a son, Kingo, but still live on in poverty. When Miho and Kingo get ill, they can't afford the services of a physician and Chijiiwa comes up with the plot of threatening to commit seppuku at a lord's house with previously seen results. With no money, Miho and Kingo end up dying from their illnesses. Physician examining a child A physician is a person who practices medicine. ...

Before coming to Kageyu Saito's house, Hanshiro Tsugumo tracks down three retainers of the house, Hikokuro Omodaka, Hayato Yazaki and Umenosuke Kawabe, who he blames for the deaths of his family. Instead of killing them in combat, he disgraces them by cutting off the topknots of their hair.

After finishing his story, Hanshiro Tsugumo is attacked by the retainers of the furious lord Kageyu Saito. Honor forgotten, he has to fight all of them off alone, killing four, before succumbing to his wounds and finally committing seppuku to avoid getting killed by the retainers.

Themes

This subversive film takes a negative stance on the emerging fuedal system at the beginning of the 17th century, depicting a hypocrisy in the flimsy pretext of honor exhibited by the daimyos. At the time, harakiri was looked as a means to retain one's honor, while living was considered a disgrace, even when doing good by looking after others. The vanity of the feudal lord Kageyu Saito is also shown. The outward appearance of honorability is shown to be more important to him than real honor. He orders the retainers disgraced by Hanshiro Tsugumo to commit seppuku, and makes sure those who got their hair cut off by Hanshiro are written off as casualties to illness so that his house would not appear weak.

Main cast

• Tatsuya Nakadai - Hanshiro Tsugumo
• Rentaro Mikuni - Kageyu Saito
• Shima Iwashita - Miho Tsugumo
• Akira Ishihama - Motome Chijiiwa
• Tetsuro Tamba - Hikokuro Omodaka
• Ichiro Nakaya - Hayato Yazaki
• Yoshio Aoki - Umenosuke Kawabe

Japanese leading actor Tatsuya Nakadai (仲代達矢 Nakadai Tatsuya) became a star after he was discovered working as a shop clerk by filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi during the 1950s. ... Rentaro Mikuni (Japanese: 三國連太郎; born January 20, 1923) is a Japanese actor from Gumma. ... Iwashita Shima (岩下志麻; real name 篠田志麻;Shinoda Shima born January 3, 1941 Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese actress. ... Tetsuro Tamba in You Only Live Twice. ...

External links

• Harakiri at the Internet Movie Database
• Review and DVD comparison at dvdbeaver.com
• Joan Mellen essay at criterionco.com