Seppuku (1962)

When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.

Director:

Masaki Kobayashi

Writers:

Yasuhiko Takiguchi (novel), Shinobu Hashimoto (screenplay)

Stars:

Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita

Top Rated Movies #32 | 8 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tatsuya Nakadai	...	Hanshiro Tsugumo
Akira Ishihama	...	Motome Chijiiwa
Shima Iwashita	...	Miho Tsugumo
Tetsurô Tanba	...	Hikokuro Omodaka
Masao Mishima	...	Tango Inaba
Ichirô Nakatani	...	Hayato Yazaki
Kei Satô	...	Masakazu
Yoshio Inaba	...	Jinai Chijiiwa
Hisashi Igawa	...	Retainer
Tôru Takeuchi	...	Retainer
Yoshirô Aoki	...	Umenosuke Kawabe
Tatsuo Matsumura	...	Seibei
Akiji Kobayashi	...	Ii Clan Retainer
Kôichi Hayashi
Ryûtarô Gomi	...	General

Storyline

Peace in 17th-century Japan causes the Shogunate's breakup of warrior clans, throwing thousands of samurai out of work and into poverty. An honorable end to such fate under the samurai code is ritual suicide, or hara-kiri (self-inflicted disembowelment). An elder warrior, Hanshiro Tsugumo (Tatsuya Nakadai) seeks admittance to the house of a feudal lord to commit the act. There, he learns of the fate of his son-in-law, a young samurai who sought work at the house but was instead barbarically forced to commit traditional hara-kiri in an excruciating manner with a dull bamboo blade. In flashbacks the samurai tells the tragic story of his son-in-law, and how he was forced to sell his real sword to support his sick wife and child. Tsugumo thus sets in motion a tense showdown of revenge against the house.

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Plot Keywords:

samurai | one against many | year 1630 | sword fight | stabbed with a sword | 

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Taglines:

There are two sides to every blade... One for the enemy... One for suicide by... [HARAKIRI]

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tatsuya Nakadai cited this as his favorite of over 100 films that he's appeared in.

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Goofs

When Hanshiro first arrives at House Iyi he states that his master's house fell in 1619 (as translated in the subtitles) but he actually says Genna 5 (which is correct according to the calendar used in Japan at this time). Japan did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1873. The film was released and the subtitles made after Japan had already adopted the Gregorian calendar, however, so it made more sense for both Japanese and foreign audiences to render the year in Gregorian style.

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Quotes

Hanshiro Tsugumo: What befalls others today, may be your own fate tomorrow.

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Connections

References Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937)

User Reviews

Harakiri

Well what can I say.. this 1962 movie directed by Masaki Kobayashi is one of the MOST powerful movies I have ever seen in my life! It is really a tremendous example of outstanding film making! The cinematography is absolutely exceptional! However it is the haunting plot of a samurai explaining the meaningless and worthless flawed belief of the samurai spirit which grips the viewer.

Tatsuya Nakadais mighty performance in Harakiri further proves for me, that he is without a doubt one of best actors in the history of film. This man takes on his roles with such prowess that it is easy for the viewer to forget that you have seen him play a different role in another movie.

By the way - The Criterion 2 disk DVD version is mint! An a MUST HAVE in any fans collection.

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1963 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Seppuku

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,222

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1