The original is considered the greatest film of all time; you can stream the more brutal remake on Amazon Prime Video

On Film lovers from all over the world come together. Most of the editorial staff of FILMSTARTS can also be found there. And I also rate all the movies I watch, whether for the first time or the tenth time, on the site and write them down in my mailbox diary. All ratings on letterboxd also form a list of the best movies of all time. Masaki Kobayashi’s Japanese drama ‘Harakiri’ aka ‘Seppuku’ has been leading this for some time, before classics like ‘The Twelve Jurors’, ‘The Seven Samurai’ or ‘The Godfather 2’.

Unfortunately, the samurai suicide ritual (which also plays a major role in the current Disney Plus hit ‘Shogun’) is not available to stream anywhere. Anyway, the classic is treated quite neglected in Germany. Because for home theater it is only available as an insert (!) on the special edition Blu-ray release of the “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” remake – and which has been out of print for a while. Since ‘Harakiri’ is currently only importable, I want to take a look at the remake in this streaming tip. Because this one is really good too – and you can watch it easily and immediately.

“Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” is currently available for subscription on Amazon Prime Video.

However, the revenge drama is only available in the German dub. If, like me, you prefer the original Japanese version, then you’ll have to grab the Blu-ray or DVD of the film. These have also been sold out for a while, but unlike the special edition, they can still be found regularly for a reasonable price of a few euros on Ebay or the Amazon marketplace.

Or you can grab the Takashi Miike box set, which is still regularly available and which, in addition to ‘Hara-Kiri’, also contains two other brutal samurai dramas by the Japanese director that are worth seeing: ‘Blade Of The Immortal’, which is enriched with many fantasy elements, and this Battle Massacre remake “13 Assassins”.

But now a few words about what “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” is about and why it is worth seeing.

This is “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai”

In his revenge drama, shot in 3D and also the first 3D film ever to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Takashi Miike tells a story from a time when samurai have become redundant. Because there is peace for the most part and no one needs the former warriors. Many are impoverished, seppuku, suicide is a last chance to leave the world with honor. But many also use the seppuku wish as an excuse and in reality just want to beg for money.

A powerful lord has made an example of this. In his case, the young warrior Motome Chijiiwa, hoping for a few thalers as alms, was cruelly forced to commit suicide, even though he was so poor that he no longer even had a real sword. Because he was denied a loan for the deed, he had to cut his stomach with his blunt bamboo sword, suffered so cruelly that he could not finish it himself and was therefore dishonorably beheaded.

The lord tells the story of Motome to the samurai Hanshiro Tsugumo (Ichikawa Ebizō) when he also appears at his court wanting to commit suicide. He also thinks Hanshiro is a beggar and wants to discourage him and send him away. But Hanshiro insists on making his wish come true. What the mighty lord does not suspect. His new guest already knew Motome’s history. This and not suicide is the main reason he came to court…

Hara-Kiri – Death of a samurai

Starting date
May 22, 2012
|
2 hours 05 minutes

By
Takashi Miike

Of
Ebizo Ichikawa,
Eita,
Koji Yakusho

Press reviews

3.8

User rating

3.1

On power

Like Masaki Kobayashi before him, Takashi Miike uses the cruel ritual to tell a melodramatic revenge story that is in many ways inspiring. A diverse story unfolds around the question of what honor is worth if you don’t have enough moneyto protect the people who are particularly close to you. That leaves no one cold, even if you already know the original, which basically tells the same story in which Miike has not changed much.

What’s different is the production, with considerably more dynamic camera work than in the original. This and the representation of figures in space are also due to the production in 3D, but also work excellently in 2D in the home theater. Because In this way, Miike directs the audience’s emotions more, emphasizing the melodramatic aspects of the story. Despite the 1:1 adaptation of the story, his remake has its own charm.

Difficult to bear: the depiction of the suicide ritual

In both cases the focus is on the performance of the suicide ritual. You almost have to force yourself to look. But there is never a voyeuristic aspect to it, or even a shock effect to shock. The brutal portrayal only shows us how poor the execution of the historically transmitted ritual must have been, how desperate and ultimately a man is if he even agrees to try it with a blunt bamboo sword.

With Miike it is a bit more brutal thanks to more dynamic camera work and modern effects – which also applies to a big action scene at the end of the film. Another factor is that the new film was of course shot in color, the original was in black and white.

If you have the original, make sure you check it out: it’s being sold for a reason – Rank the best movies of all time. But with the remake you also get high-level drama that is worth seeing.