Directed by Masaki Kobayashi • 1962 • Japan
Following the collapse of his clan, an unemployed samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the manor of Lord Iyi, begging to be allowed to commit ritual suicide on the property. Iyi’s clansmen, believing the desperate ronin is merely angling for a new position, try to force his hand and get him to eviscerate himself, but they have underestimated his beliefs and his personal brand of honor. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize, HARAKIRI, directed by Masaki Kobayashi, is a fierce evocation of individual agency in the face of a corrupt and hypocritical system.
In this introduction, recorded in New York in 2004, Japanese-film scholar Donald Richie analyzes important themes and motifs in HARAKIRI and discusses the antiauthoritarian focus of its creators. Please note: the introduction contains remarks about the ending of the film.
Filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan on October 14, 1993, at the Haiyuza Theatre in Tokyo, this rare interview with Masaki Kobayashi features the director reflecting on HARAKIRI and his collaborators. It was conducted by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda.
