Free Samurai Films by Roland Thorne Page A

Yojimbo are much better places to start. However, if you like the genre, and want to see what bushido really meant, then make sure to watch The 47 Ronin .
Hara-kiri (1962) 
     
    Japanese Title: Seppuku
    Directed by: Masaki Kobayashi
    Written by: Story by Yasuhiko Takiguchi, screenplay by Shinobu Hashimoto
    Produced by: Tatsuo Hosoya
    Edited by: Hisashi Sagara
    Cinematography: Yoshio Miyajima
    Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai (Hanshiro), Rentaro Mikuni (Kageyu), Shima Iwashita (Miho), Akira Ishihama (Motome), Tetsuro Tamba (Hikokuro), Yoshio Aoki (Umenosuke), Ichiro Nakaya (Hayato), Yoshio Inaba (Jinnai) 

PLOT SUMMARY
     
    In recent times many impoverished ronin have arrived at clan mansions, and requested to commit ritual suicide in their grounds, claiming that they can no longer endure their impoverished lifestyles. Yet most have no desire to kill themselves, knowing full well that the clans will give them money simply to be rid of them. This presents a problem for the clans, who see this as a form of extortion. When Motome, a young ronin, requests to commit suicide in the Iyi mansion, rather than simply deny the request or give him money, Kageyu, the clan counsellor, has his samurai force the young man to commit hara-kiri, even refusing his request for a two-day postponement. As if this isn’t bad enough, they make him use the bamboo sword he carries; he is so poor he has sold his blades. This is all done to preserve the honour of the Iyi clan and deter other ronin. Motome had a sick child, and needed money for medicine – he was only driven to performing the hara-kiri scam by the most extreme circumstances.
    The film revolves around Hanshiro, father-in-law of Motome. Himself a ronin, Hanshiro realises he is most happy when he has no superiors and is with his family. He praises his son-in-law for his brave actions, and curses his own stupidity for not selling his swords. Hanshiro exposes the hypocrisy of the Iyi by also requesting to commit hari-kiri within their castle grounds. He has previously removed the top knots of the three retainers most involved in Motome’s enforced suicide. According to the samurai code this is a grave dishonour, and can only be atoned by hara-kiri. Hanshiro requests that these men assist with his suicide, but two of them hide in their homes, waiting for their hair to re-grow, demonstrating the same cowardice they accused Motome of. Kageyu has his men attack Hanshiro, and he fights bravely, eventually succumbing to the Iyi’s guns. With Hanshiro dead, Kageyu sets about concealing the entire incident, something he does so well that the Iyi clan is praised for its handling of the ronin.

ANALYSIS
     
    Hara-kiri is a tremendous film, and among the most moving and honest of the samurai genre. Director Masaki Kobayashi, famous for films which explored the downtrodden, makes clear here the potential for the inhumane cruelty inherent in the samurai code. This is in stark contrast to many other samurai films, which portray the harsh lifestyle of the samurai in a positive light.
    Kobayashi shows the propensity of the samurai for senseless cruelty through the actions of the Iyi clan. Their inhuman treatment of Motome is done entirely to preserve the good name of their clan, and this, in essence, is the fault in the samurai philosophy that Kobayashi is drawing our attention to; reputation should never be a justification for cruelty, and is far less important than the ethical treatment of human beings. This is also highlighted through the character of Hanshiro, who comes to realise that those he loves are far more important than the social standing he has lost.
    The story of Hanshiro and Motome is moving, and the audience cannot help but feel for their plight. Yet, Kageyu and the Iyi learn nothing from these sad events; the hiding retainers are also forced to commit hara-kiri, and the entire incident is concealed in the clan records. The Iyi are even praised for the way they dealt with the situation. This shows