Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai [HD]

A Faithful Update Of A Slow Burn Morality Tale, Not A Typical Samurai Action Picture
We all have certain films that really resonate with us, that we remember distinctively and decisively for any number of reasons. For me, Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 classic "Harakiri" is one of those experiences. I didn't know anything about the movie before I sat down to watch it, and it absolutely blew me away. A quiet morality play that really challenges the notion of what honor means, "Harakiri" has a power, honesty, and emotional impact that is earned through a surprisingly understated narrative device. Instead of explosive dramatics, the screenplay takes its time in unraveling. And this focus on character development makes the ultimate confrontation both heartrending and harrowing! When I heard that prolific Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike was on board for a remake, I had feelings of both optimism and apprehension. I think the original holds up quite well and there is little to improve. But I've followed Miike for years and loved much of his work. Though, to be fair, I don't know...

super
The movie is not spectacular, but like "the twilight samurai", it moves at a slow pace presenting an intimate view of the life in the lower strata of the samurai caste.
Using an intense story for an exploration on the nature of that culture's concept of honor.

Prettier Than the Original But Is That a Plus?
Takashi Miichi's remake of the iconic 1962 "Hara Kiri," directed by Masaki Kobayashi, in color and 3-D for theater-goers, would surely be acclaimed as a near masterwork, a return to the cinematic artistry that made Kobayashi and Kurosawa sublime in their time. Unfortunately for Miichi, too many of us remember the original in all its black-and-white starkness and moodiness. Remaking Hara Kiri is as presumptuous as rewriting Hamlet or recomposing The Marriage of Figaro. The good news is that Miichi follows the script and the ineluctable timing of Kobayashi's classic almost scene for scene... until the climax, the furor that erupts in the last ten minutes. To compare the climactic scenes would constitute an atrocious spoilage, so I won't. But I will say that Miichi's finale discards the profound historical significance of Kobayashi's. Both films are quite worth seeing, believe me, even on successive evenings.

The most salient difference, nevertheless, needs to be expressed...

Click to Editorial Reviews