Takashi Miike's follow up to the amazing
13 Assassins remakes a 1962 film of the same name, wherein a lone samurai (
Ebizô Ichikawa), living in poverty, requests from a lord the chance to allow him to commit a seppuku (hara-kiri) and honourably take his own life. From there, we hear in flashback, the tale of what brought the samurai to this point; and of a younger ronin who had come to the lord a few weeks previously with a similar request. Similar in style to 13 Assassins, and once again featuring the excellent
Kôji Yakusho, it sits as an interesting companion piece courtesy of its excellently recreated feudal Japan settings. Despite some largly unnecessary 3D (when is it EVER necessary?) the story drags you in, however it is a far more sombre affair than 13 Assassins. Whilst Assassins was a fun exciting adventure, Hara-Kiri is bleak and introspective. A worthy view, and no mistake, but certainly a more complex and downbeat experience than Miike's last outing.
M.I.F.F. Rating 4 out of 5
IMDB:
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai
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