Harakiri

An open  (not only the realistic depiction of the titular act) criticism of relationships in Japanese society at the end of the Edo era. Starving Ronin commit harakiri, the women suffer in silence, children die early. Poverty, pain, hopelessness. Kobayashi can elicit strong emotions using minimal formalistic means. Of all camera movements, he gives priority to dolly shots. And the characters stand or (more frequently) sit, and he doesn’t need to raise or lower the camera thanks to the well-chosen initial placement. Not only do we see what is necessary, the placement of the characters in the space also corresponds to their social status. The film is therefore a joy to watch even if you are not interested in the story or the unusual way it is told (flashbacks clarifying other flashbacks). The predominant part of Harakiri comprises dialogue scenes which, thanks to the directing and the music by Tôru Takemicu (who collaborated with, among others, the avantgarde director Hiroshi Teshigahara), are just as thrilling as the lengthy sword fights in the final minutes. If you let yourself be carried away by this film, you definitely will not stay with it only because of those. 85% (03/06/2011)

Harakiri is a well-structured dramatic story about honor, revenge, and moral values, which accurately informs the viewer so that the storyline works itself out and concludes perfectly. From the beginning, it is obvious that the main character is not going to enter the lion's den without a well-thought-out plan, and as it turns out later on, everything goes according to plan, but there are still some surprises in store for the audience. A very impressive movie with several iconic samurai fights. (03/01/2020)