Seppuku (1962) (Harakiri) - Remaster (with DVD extras)

Japanese / International title: Seppuku. American title: Harakiri
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai.
Kobayashi's powerful indictment of social structures, in this case the Tokugawa shogunate, which demolish the individual's dignity in favor of authoritarian rule, is a superb film. Set in 1630 near the beginning of the famous shogunate's rule, Seppuku (Harakiri) exposes Tom Cruise's vain attempt at multiculturalism, The Last Samurai, for what it is - a mindless narrative based on inane American notions of the samurai. Kobayashi's film is a subtle, astute tale full of outrage and profundity.


As the film opens, momentous change is sweeping across Japan, causing many samurai to fall into exile as ronin, masterless samurai. Despite the changes, the Iyi Clan is prosperous and adheres strictly to their oaths. Thus, when a man claiming to be a retainer of the fallen Fukushima Clan arrives, they question his motives. Hanshiro Tsugumo (Tatsuya Nakadai) asks permission to commit seppuku, ritual disembowelment, in the Iyi Clan's forecourt.


The counselor, Kageyu Saito (Rentaro Mikuni), is skeptical because many ronin have been attempting to extort money from various clans by playing to their sympathies under the guise of this sacred ritual. Saito meets with Tsugumo in private, speaking frankly in the ascetic environment, telling the story of a young man, Motome Chijiiwa (Akira Ishihama), who made the same proposition. Through a series of vivid flashbacks, Chijiiwa's fate at the austere hands of the Iyi Clan is revealed. Exposed as a scoundrel, they force him to commit harakiri with his bamboo sword.


The story does not phase Tsugumo, however, who confidently informs Saito that he has every intention of slicing his own abdomen. The ceremony is prepared, but Tsugumo makes a request for the great Iyi swordsmen Hikokuro Omodaka (Tetsuro Tamba) to assist in the ritual. Omodaka is absent due to illness, so Tsugumo makes two additional requests for samurai who are also absent.


Each of the three requested men was intricately involved in Chijiiwa's excruciating death, prompting Saito to suspect Tsugumo of a conspiracy. As they wait for news on the three missing samurai, Tsugumo tells the story of his life and reveals his relationship to Chijiiwa. There is no telling how things will play out, but Saito and Tsugumo find themselves locked in a battle of wills that could very soon turn into a deadly duel.


Kobayashi's direction is patient in its storytelling. Working from a script by Shinobu Hashimoto (most famous for Rashomon), Kobayashi shifts focus between the Iyi courtyard and Tsugumo's story with great skill, allowing the flashbacks to slowly reveal all the events that led up to Tsugumo's arrival. In many ways, Seppuku is the antithesis to Kurosawa's brilliant samurai pictures. Apart from the violent and unbridled demise of Chijiiwa (shown in unblinking horror, with canted camera angles heightening the effect) the movie is mostly calm and little more than two men conversing in front of a large audience.


Yet, there's a kind of spectacle in all of this. The richly adventurous black-and-white cinematography by Yoshio Miyajima merges both serenity and chaos, capturing the alluring production design with tremendous realism. Furthering that sense is the musical score, bringing emotion and drama into perfect harmony. The filmmaking is so good that I genuinely felt like I was sitting in feudal Japan while watching it.


At 133 minutes, Kobayashi could employ some judicious editing to strengthen the film's effect. However, the extended length is made durable by Tatsuya Nakadai's incredible performance as Tsugumo. Only 30 years old when making the film, Nakadai embodies his character with zeal and intelligence.


The ragged beard and tethered clothes further his performance, which contains a range unusual in Japanese films of the period. The dialogue is poetic, employing a kabuki aesthetic and mixing it with method acting. Pay special attention to the early scenes when Nakadai is listening to his fellow actor, Rentaro Mikuni. The two create a tension that seeps off of the screen and into the viewer.


Seppuku is a classic piece of cinema. The themes of the film, which are antiauthoritarian, are timeless and raise many questions. What is honor? Who decides whether an act is honorable? What is the price of humanity? Kobayashi weaves these questions into a stunning story that can only be appreciated by viewing it.


Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: A