Amazingly perfect analysis in English on the Japanese film. I have been astonished as I have never seen such a great analysis even in Japanese on this film. You explained to me in English why I was so attracted by this film, although I (a Japanese man with understanding about Japanese culture and history) could never put it into words myself.
Hello, Tsuyoshi! I am so happy to receive your comment. The movie does such a terrific job of setting up what the audience needs to know, but I'm sure I missed quite a bit of things about Japanese culture. Thank you for watching!
@@ScriptSleuth One little advice is that Hashimoto is the last name and Shinobu is the first name. Anyway, I am looking forward to your analysis again.
Yes, that I know, and that's why I put it first, as they do in several Asian cultures (my family is Korean). For example, most westerners don't realize that Bong is actually Bong Joon-Ho's family name, not his first. Yet he doesn't write it as Joon-Ho Bong. Hope you're doing well, Tsuyoshi!
One of the only films I've ever rated a 10/10. Absolute masterpiece. Love the way the film tricks you into judging certain characters without giving you the full story and then punishes you for that judgement.
Please dont judge regarding the doubt i have came with when i yesterday watched this epic samurai movie for the first time . In the first scene when motome came and asked for harakiri and begged for granting him two days he was refused and killed against his will My question is when hanshiro(father in law of motome) goes on seeking revenge he was not at all aware of the fact that his son in law was killed against his will, untill he killed the all three samurai and went to the clan house himself to perform harakiri If he didn't knew tht fact earlier that his son in law was killed against his will , whats tht logic behind going behind the three samurai and all of the clan ,what was the motive to seek revenge if he didn't knew at the time of death that his son in law was killed in this manner Ps : i didnt find any logical reason or hint that conveyed the hanshiro about the way his sone in law was killed
@@sagarpanwar69 I agree that your question is a reasonable one. But, at least Hanshiro was sure that Motome was not a kind of guy, who commits suiside leaving his sick wife and kid. He also felt that something went very wrong at Iyi Clan and thought that the three men's attitude, who brought Motome's body home, against the fact that Motome had truly commited suiside very uglily with his own bamboo blade was very nasty. I think that it was good enough reason to chase those three men individually to seek more facts about Motome's death and, although the screenplay did not mention it, I am sure Hanshiro questioned all of those three men about the situation where Motome commited suiside.
Agreed. This movie is so good it transcends genre. "Harakiri" should not be considered simply a classic samurai film, but a tour de force in cinematic history.
@@MrVvulf Yes I totally agree. On one level it is a classic revenge tale but the viewer does not even know that for most of the film as it is so multilayered and is much more than that. It is like cinematic literature.
It’s honestly one of the most impressive screenplays I have seen. The screenwriter said Something in an interview that was interesting. "Speaking of theme, those of us who make movies feel differently from those who watch them. Harakiri wasn't labeled a critique of authority until after it was made. If you look at it as I did when writing it, the themes very concise. A samurai's bitter ranting at his Harakiri ceremony - that's it." It seems the writer didn't focus on a theme while writing; the themes emerged naturally post-completion. I think we can all learn a lot from this.
It's true: I bet a lot of these themes I've uncovered in analyzing the films, most of the writers didn't consciously mean them that way. But they just have the language of storytelling and cinema in their bones, so it just happens.
what's amazing about harakiri, is that even to this day after 60 years and even for people who are not Japanese, the themes of the movie, being corruption, fake facade, the hell of poverty and hypocrisy of many of the upper class is prominent and present in any culture and any place to this day, it's unbelievably sad when i saw Hanshiro cries for his grandson who was sick and ill and he couldn't do anything about it, even though Hanshiro was a great samurai who fought in sengoku jidai, after he lost his position and saw later on how much motome, his daughter and his grandson suffered, he saw the world for what it really is, the idea of honor especially like how it was looked upon in the movie is simply foolish, especially when the upper class and supposed real warriors lived in comfort and benefited from such acts like what happened with Ii clan at the end this movie is a masterpiece
I just watched this movie for the first time a few days ago, and was blown away by how good it is. I didn't know much about the movie, and thought it would be full of sword duels and action. I was surprised it was mostly sitting and talking, but it doesn't get boring for even 1 second (not that I find all quiet movies boring). Everything feels intense and important. Really great stuff. Good video too. Well explained.
I watched this film yesterday and couldn't believe how intense it was. Thank you for making such a great analysis video! I really needed to watch this to help me understand why I found this film to be so great.
This is easily my favorite movie, which I have seen at least a dozen times. Your analysis is great too, although I beg to differ on the theme. The way I see it, the theme was not only concerned with the ancient tradition vs. humanity, but it needed to relate to the contemporary audience as well. To me the theme is really about the class consciousness and the differences between those on top (the elite) versus everyone else. The genius of Hashimoto decided to tell the story from the POV of the "loser" who warns the Iyi clansmen that they could also be in his position one day - "What befalls others today may be your own fate tomorrow". Tradition here is merely a tool for those "winners" in the feudal system to maintain their dominance over everyone else who was not as lucky. Hence, they claim that their good fortune is due to their bravery and honor, which must be something those other poor ronin lack. However, Tsugumo Hanshiro is determined to show them how wrong they are. Hashimoto and Kobayashi here provide some of the most poignant criticism of the feudal system and its modern day successor - the exploitative capitalist society where we are told that only the best and the brightest make it to the top (we know statistically that can't be further from the truth).
Film, a minimalist masterpiece, is telling its story within a story, and hinting at a story off screen. It's crafted within a limited space, with roving camera shots, deft choreography, allowing the drama to unfold. Kobayashi was an an artistic warrior and was, as with French writers during the Dreyfus Affair, making a strong political statement. His film wasn't only an argument against a cruel Moral Code (Bushido) but also a critique of the values that pushed Japan into the Second World War. But the statement is said with restraint, for he plays on the situational ethics of the lead character, Tsugumo Hanshiro, and slowly lets the tension build until the last dramatic scene, not the fighting (typical of the genre), but with the anguished face of the Clan leader, Saito Kayegu. With a few simple images- the downcast look of the shabby ronin at the beginning of the film, then his final triumphant, disdainful snare ; and the arrogant impatience, then, horror and shame of the Clan elder- the director made an explosive comment on both historic and modern Japan.
@@ScriptSleuth I saw the film two days before. The imagery was fresh. Art of film, in the heart of old Japan, makes me feel something that words can not always express. Your sensitive evaluation of the film was also worthy of praise.
I finished this great movie today and searched the title to see more about it. I found this great video as a result. You absolutely deserve more subscribers for the level of quality on display here.
I saw this movie today for the first time and it’s crazy as lover of Japanese cinema I’ve seen so many great movies but idk how did I miss this film what an amazing truly masterful film the character of hanishiro tsugumo was such a great character I felt so bad for this man who was completely in need of help and and the feudal lords of the house of Lyi did nothing to help these people who were poor and didn’t have anything going for them instead they used the seppuku system and manipulated it do as they please the way I see it it’s a form of systemic oppression of the poor in this movie but man when you hear the the flash backs of what happened to Motome chijiwa and they had him use his bamboo sword to commit seppuku in a brutal fashion and disembowel hisself and he wanted to back out and say bye to his loved ones and they wouldn’t even let him do that this movie was such a great film showing in a way it’s a revenge tale and how others take pleasure in the suffering and as well as taking advantage of a system but once again great well some of the shots in this movie are breathe taking it’s absolutely amazing this love harakiri is a true masterpiece.
I thought the exact same thing after I saw it: how in the hell had I never seen that movie before? It's a powerhouse in storytelling, perhaps even better than anything Hashimoto wrote with Kurosawa.
@@ScriptSleuth that’s what I’m saying it’s such a great powerful story it sucks you in and and flashbacks of the story are just done so well definitely a powerhouse in story telling and I’m a huge Kurosawa fan I agree this hashimoto best writing. !!!
Thanks for the video. I myself cant really see all these finer (or not so fine) aspects of movies so it's always nice to hear what exactly makes the movie good. I mean, I get the feeling that "this movie was great" but I couldnt say why if asked.
Thanks for the comment. It's easier to see these details when I write down every single thing that occurs in every scene. That forces you to pay attention! 🙂
Totally agree! The greatest film for me is Harakiri, followed by Once Upon A Time In The West, Cinema Paradise (Director's cut), and a few other masterpieces in no particular order.
Thanks bro. I recommend you the book 'Compound Cinematics: Akira Kurosawa and I' by same writer Shinobu Hashimoto sir. He shared his insights on screenwriting and experiences about working with Akira Kurosawa sir.
I absolutely loved this film. Small nitpick: Seppuku is the ritual suicide, whilst the Hara-kiri is the ritual blade used to commit seppuku. In the west, the two are conflated, but these are two very different things.
It’s funny how the title in English is “Harakiri,” when the Japanese poster title clearly reads “Seppuku.” I guess the translation used the term most familiar to Westerners.
@@ScriptSleuth I once heard that seppuku is a more genteel, polite way of referencing hara kiri, which is basically "cut your belly open". Like saying at a family gathering that one "committed suicide" rather than "he blew his brains out".
@@dominicgomezart4917 That’s correct. The two words use the same Kanji (derived from Chinese) characters, but their order is reversed, and “seppuku” uses the reading of the characters derived from the original Chinese pronunciation, while “harakiri” uses the Japanese pronunciation of the characters’ signifiers. Both literally mean “to cut the stomach,” however. There’s a similar case with “kamikaze:” the characters don’t reverse, but the polite reading is “shinpu;” the former is vulgar.
@@MyOwnNameWasTaken Doesn't "kamikaze" translate as "divine wind"? It was used to name the suicide fighter pilots during WWII, but it's origin was the description of a sudden typhoon that devastated a fleet of invading Mongol ships in the 13th Century.
He was a ronin, masterless samurai. The same as his son in law. at the time they were deemed less than a common worker and were often refused work. A common worker wouldnt have been made to commit harakiri at the time and also wouldnt posses the skills to beat trained samurai let alone take the top knots of 3
Please dont judge regarding the doubt i have came with when i yesterday watched this epic samurai movie for the first time . In the first scene when motome came and asked for harakiri and begged for granting him two days he was refused and killed against his will My question is when hanshiro(father in law of motome) goes on seeking revenge he was not at all aware of the fact that his son in law was killed against his will, untill he killed the all three samurai and went to the clan house himself to perform harakiri If he didn't knew tht fact earlier that his son in law was killed against his will , whats tht logic behind going behind the three samurai and all of the clan ,what was the motive to seek revenge if he didn't knew at the time of death that his son in law was killed in this manner Ps : i didnt find any logical reason or hint that conveyed the hanshiro about the way his sone in law was killed
hanshiro probably did not believe those 3 samurais that motome really wanted to kill himself, but even if motome really wanted to die, hanshiro knew there was no reason for motome to torture himself wit a bamboo. Also motome and hanshiro were discussing the exact scenario motome acted latter in a movie, that some ronins were asking a harakiri assistance whilst they really hoped the rich masters to just give them some money out of compassion, so hanshiro presumed motome tried to pull that trick. And lastly the 3 bad guys were acting dismissingly towards the deadman, you can see it in facial mimics, smug smiling and throwing the swords on the body, maybe it sounds like shoehorning but i believe the director deliberately chose more subtle way of conveying the menace of 3 clan samurais
If you are one of these types who think films (or stories of any kind) need to have airtight, perfect narratives where everything is explained away, please look for your entertainment elsewhere or endeavor to gain some perspective on the art form. Films are illusory, and no illusion is without flaw. Yours is a naïve mindset that has already poisoned and irreparably damaged the greater discourse surrounding films of a more low-brow nature made in the english speaking world. We do not wish for it to gain ground in the discourse surrounding world cinema, high brow or otherwise. Of all the things to discuss about a film that won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, asking how Hanshirō came to learn the identities of the men who dishonored his son-in-law is laughably humdrum.
He knew it was against his will from the wounds on his body as they were clearly not clean cuts. No one would ever willinly use fake bamboo blades. He could probably also tell from the extent of the cuts that they denied him a quick death. The samurai that stood with him (his 2nd) is supposed to cut off his head. But they forced him to cut horizontaly as well as verticaly fully disembowling himself before the lord lets the 2nd take his head and end his pain. At that point in time seppoku was more a formality were just peircing yoir own stomach was usually enough and the 2nd would finish the job putting them out of there misery. From the body alone he could see he had a horrible death and when he saw the bamboo blades he knew iy would have been in extruiating pain for quite some time as the blades were dull. He had to littary fall onto the blade just to get it to pierce his stomach. Terrible terrible way to die
Please dont judge regarding the doubt i have came with when i yesterday watched this epic samurai movie for the first time . In the first scene when motome came and asked for harakiri and begged for granting him two days he was refused and killed against his will My question is when hanshiro(father in law of motome) goes on seeking revenge he was not at all aware of the fact that his son in law was killed against his will, untill he killed the all three samurai and went to the clan house himself to perform harakiri If he didn't knew tht fact earlier that his son in law was killed against his will , whats tht logic behind going behind the three samurai and all of the clan ,what was the motive to seek revenge if he didn't knew at the time of death that his son in law was killed in this manner Ps : i didnt find any logical reason or hint that conveyed the hanshiro about the way his sone in law was killed
@@sagarpanwar69 Good question. Wouldn't Hanshiro have figured out there was foul play by the way the three samurai acted when they brought Motome's body to his house? The simple fact that they allowed him to commit seppuku with a bamboo sword is itself a dishonorable action.
@@sagarpanwar69 he knew because motome was not supposed to die. he expected them to give him money to not preform the ritual., and he was supposed to come back alive.and he told hanshiro that he was gonna do that. before him there were other samurai's who did this trick as well.
There is one thing i dont understand in the film, after the corpse of the first harakiri was given to the main character, he said that he was good enough to sell his swords for his daughter and that he didnt even thinked about it. And we learn later that the child dies two days later and the woman 3 days, why didnt the main character selled his sword for a doctor, did he sat 3 days for them to die without doing it, doesnt make sense or?
@@My20GUNS maybe i think its strange too do 3 days not the logical think and i think the women looked strong enough to survive one day till he would have selled it and got a doctor, mentally i dont know. but the film gives no answer it could be like you said or that his sword was more important to him then their lives, what would give the film a dark turn and would show more critical the samurai era.
The swords were sacred to samurai and considered to have a soul of its own or a soul of an ancestor/ancestors. Even a ronin wouldnt dream of selling their swords even if they have no use for them. Selling their swords were unthinkable which makes the moment mean even more when he realised what his son in law had done. He had basicaly sold his soul. The movie is essentially about challenging tradition and the samurai code of honour. How important is a code when your family is dying. Thats what he realises when hs son is brought to him butchered by blunt bamboo swords. But he still had a use for his swords in teaching the dishonourable samurai the same lesson about honour and codes as he learned. By taking there knots and trashing the sacred armour
I re read your question and to clarify the son in law sold his swords and it still wasnt enough for a dr. That is why he goes to get a payout from the noble. But not having his swords backfire on him when he has to do what he does with the bamboo fakes
@@biz09ification Yeah could be would mean that maybe revenge was more important for him as to sell it and help his family or it was to late, the film lets it open, its ok. In the west Japan has a good PR and reputation by the kids who play games from it, but the country has many society problems it seems and thinks that are dumb and disgusting. (often because of their heathen religion/traditions maybe).
sorry that was harsh. I didnt even finish the video, but what i saw was the narrator basically describing obvious plot points. Perhaps the analysis came towards the end
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how? the only similiarity to Rashomon is that the screenwriter is the same, otherwise completely different themes with Rashomon leaving you wondering what actually happened
Amazingly perfect analysis in English on the Japanese film. I have been astonished as I have never seen such a great analysis even in Japanese on this film. You explained to me in English why I was so attracted by this film, although I (a Japanese man with understanding about Japanese culture and history) could never put it into words myself.
Hello, Tsuyoshi! I am so happy to receive your comment. The movie does such a terrific job of setting up what the audience needs to know, but I'm sure I missed quite a bit of things about Japanese culture. Thank you for watching!
@@ScriptSleuth One little advice is that Hashimoto is the last name and Shinobu is the first name. Anyway, I am looking forward to your analysis again.
Yes, that I know, and that's why I put it first, as they do in several Asian cultures (my family is Korean). For example, most westerners don't realize that Bong is actually Bong Joon-Ho's family name, not his first. Yet he doesn't write it as Joon-Ho Bong. Hope you're doing well, Tsuyoshi!
One of the only films I've ever rated a 10/10. Absolute masterpiece. Love the way the film tricks you into judging certain characters without giving you the full story and then punishes you for that judgement.
Hey cineranter
One of my favorite films ever
Agreed. It really opened a whole new world into storytelling for me.
#3 in my favorites.
Please dont judge regarding the doubt i have came with when i yesterday watched this epic samurai movie for the first time .
In the first scene when motome came and asked for harakiri and begged for granting him two days he was refused and killed against his will
My question is when hanshiro(father in law of motome) goes on seeking revenge he was not at all aware of the fact that his son in law was killed against his will, untill he killed the all three samurai and went to the clan house himself to perform harakiri
If he didn't knew tht fact earlier that his son in law was killed against his will , whats tht logic behind going behind the three samurai and all of the clan ,what was the motive to seek revenge if he didn't knew at the time of death that his son in law was killed in this manner
Ps : i didnt find any logical reason or hint that conveyed the hanshiro about the way his sone in law was killed
@@sagarpanwar69 I agree that your question is a reasonable one. But, at least Hanshiro was sure that Motome was not a kind of guy, who commits suiside leaving his sick wife and kid. He also felt that something went very wrong at Iyi Clan and thought that the three men's attitude, who brought Motome's body home, against the fact that Motome had truly commited suiside very uglily with his own bamboo blade was very nasty. I think that it was good enough reason to chase those three men individually to seek more facts about Motome's death and, although the screenplay did not mention it, I am sure Hanshiro questioned all of those three men about the situation where Motome commited suiside.
I'm hard pressed to think of a better film than this one. There are other masterpieces but this one is special. Nice analysis.
It really is way up there - a powerhouse in storytelling.
Agreed.
This movie is so good it transcends genre. "Harakiri" should not be considered simply a classic samurai film, but a tour de force in cinematic history.
@@MrVvulf Yes I totally agree. On one level it is a classic revenge tale but the viewer does not even know that for most of the film as it is so multilayered and is much more than that. It is like cinematic literature.
It’s honestly one of the most impressive screenplays I have seen. The screenwriter said Something in an interview that was interesting.
"Speaking of theme, those of us
who make movies feel differently from those who watch them. Harakiri wasn't labeled a critique of authority until after it was made. If you look at it as I did when writing it, the themes very concise. A samurai's bitter ranting at his Harakiri ceremony - that's it." It seems the writer didn't focus on a theme while writing; the themes emerged naturally post-completion.
I think we can all learn a lot from this.
It's true: I bet a lot of these themes I've uncovered in analyzing the films, most of the writers didn't consciously mean them that way. But they just have the language of storytelling and cinema in their bones, so it just happens.
what's amazing about harakiri, is that even to this day after 60 years and even for people who are not Japanese, the themes of the movie, being corruption, fake facade, the hell of poverty and hypocrisy of many of the upper class is prominent and present in any culture and any place to this day, it's unbelievably sad when i saw Hanshiro cries for his grandson who was sick and ill and he couldn't do anything about it, even though Hanshiro was a great samurai who fought in sengoku jidai, after he lost his position and saw later on how much motome, his daughter and his grandson suffered, he saw the world for what it really is, the idea of honor especially like how it was looked upon in the movie is simply foolish, especially when the upper class and supposed real warriors lived in comfort and benefited from such acts like what happened with Ii clan at the end
this movie is a masterpiece
Agreed!
Storytelling, catches you by throat and tells the story, amazing, no modern day court room drama can replicate Harakiri, AMAZING.
Truth.
I just watched this movie for the first time a few days ago, and was blown away by how good it is. I didn't know much about the movie, and thought it would be full of sword duels and action. I was surprised it was mostly sitting and talking, but it doesn't get boring for even 1 second (not that I find all quiet movies boring). Everything feels intense and important. Really great stuff.
Good video too. Well explained.
The same thing happened to me. I was just floored. Storytelling at its finest. Thanks for tuning in!
Greatest movie, nice explanation, tatsuya nakadai done great performance for this movie
My father had told me about this magnificent movie,that he had seen at the time of it's release.I have wathed it many times.
I watched this film yesterday and couldn't believe how intense it was. Thank you for making such a great analysis video!
I really needed to watch this to help me understand why I found this film to be so great.
It really is intense. Storytelling at its highest form. Thanks for watching the video!
This is easily my favorite movie, which I have seen at least a dozen times. Your analysis is great too, although I beg to differ on the theme. The way I see it, the theme was not only concerned with the ancient tradition vs. humanity, but it needed to relate to the contemporary audience as well. To me the theme is really about the class consciousness and the differences between those on top (the elite) versus everyone else. The genius of Hashimoto decided to tell the story from the POV of the "loser" who warns the Iyi clansmen that they could also be in his position one day - "What befalls others today may be your own fate tomorrow". Tradition here is merely a tool for those "winners" in the feudal system to maintain their dominance over everyone else who was not as lucky. Hence, they claim that their good fortune is due to their bravery and honor, which must be something those other poor ronin lack. However, Tsugumo Hanshiro is determined to show them how wrong they are. Hashimoto and Kobayashi here provide some of the most poignant criticism of the feudal system and its modern day successor - the exploitative capitalist society where we are told that only the best and the brightest make it to the top (we know statistically that can't be further from the truth).
Great comment! Thanks for sharing.
totally agree
Im addicted to the minimal but impactful dialogue and the way they sound. Simple and wide angles, haunting dialogue.
Film, a minimalist masterpiece, is telling its story within a story, and hinting at a story off screen. It's crafted within a limited space, with roving camera shots, deft choreography, allowing the drama to unfold. Kobayashi was an an artistic warrior and was, as with French writers during the Dreyfus Affair, making a strong political statement. His film wasn't only an argument against a cruel Moral Code (Bushido) but also a critique of the values that pushed Japan into the Second World War. But the statement is said with restraint, for he plays on the situational ethics of the lead character, Tsugumo Hanshiro, and slowly lets the tension build until the last dramatic scene, not the fighting (typical of the genre), but with the anguished face of the Clan leader, Saito Kayegu. With a few simple images- the downcast look of the shabby ronin at the beginning of the film, then his final triumphant, disdainful snare ; and the arrogant impatience, then, horror and shame of the Clan elder- the director made an explosive comment on both historic and modern Japan.
Thanks for the great comment!
@@ScriptSleuth I saw the film two days before. The imagery was fresh. Art of film, in the heart of old Japan, makes me feel something that words can not always express. Your sensitive evaluation of the film was also worthy of praise.
この映画はとかく美的に語られる武士道の非人道的側面をテーマとした小林監督の傑作だと思います。
非人道性に対する怒りは小林作品の中で、「上意討ち」、「人間の条件」、「東京裁判」と続き、一連の作品群から、それが封建時代だけのものでなく、近代にも続くものだと言っているように感じられます。
このような姿勢で作る日本人監督は非常に珍しい存在です。
@@ヒデ-i3c I translated your comment through Google. Thank you for the comment!
I finished this great movie today and searched the title to see more about it. I found this great video as a result. You absolutely deserve more subscribers for the level of quality on display here.
I'm so glad you discovered this movie. My jaw dropped when I first saw it!
Nice analysis of a brilliant movie!
Thanks, Lucca!
Harakiri is lower than Leon, the professional. Which is insane.
I saw this movie today for the first time and it’s crazy as lover of Japanese cinema I’ve seen so many great movies but idk how did I miss this film what an amazing truly masterful film the character of hanishiro tsugumo was such a great character I felt so bad for this man who was completely in need of help and and the feudal lords of the house of Lyi did nothing to help these people who were poor and didn’t have anything going for them instead they used the seppuku system and manipulated it do as they please the way I see it it’s a form of systemic oppression of the poor in this movie but man when you hear the the flash backs of what happened to Motome chijiwa and they had him use his bamboo sword to commit seppuku in a brutal fashion and disembowel hisself and he wanted to back out and say bye to his loved ones and they wouldn’t even let him do that this movie was such a great film showing in a way it’s a revenge tale and how others take pleasure in the suffering and as well as taking advantage of a system but once again great well some of the shots in this movie are breathe taking it’s absolutely amazing this love harakiri is a true masterpiece.
I thought the exact same thing after I saw it: how in the hell had I never seen that movie before? It's a powerhouse in storytelling, perhaps even better than anything Hashimoto wrote with Kurosawa.
@@ScriptSleuth that’s what I’m saying it’s such a great powerful story it sucks you in and and flashbacks of the story are just done so well definitely a powerhouse in story telling and I’m a huge Kurosawa fan I agree this hashimoto best writing. !!!
Watched this amazing film last week! You're breakdown is most excellent!
@@xenboy7778 Thanks, hope you enjoyed it!
You know this needs more views.
I guess they'll come soon!
Thanks for the video. I myself cant really see all these finer (or not so fine) aspects of movies so it's always nice to hear what exactly makes the movie good. I mean, I get the feeling that "this movie was great" but I couldnt say why if asked.
Thanks for the comment. It's easier to see these details when I write down every single thing that occurs in every scene. That forces you to pay attention! 🙂
Love this film! Thank you for the analysis !!
Thanks for watching!
Great analysis, especially the “theme” section🤺
Thanks, Eoin!
@@ScriptSleuth no worries, one of the best Japanese films to date, masterful story telling.
The man that wrote the screenplay, Shinobu Hashimoto, died three years ago. RIP.
Just a phenomenal writer. Rest in peace, indeed.
Never bring gun to a sword fight
Fav samurai movie 🙏
Great analysis.
Thanks, for watching, Ömer!
One of the very few films I rate 10 out of 10, together with Once upon a time in the west.
Totally agree! The greatest film for me is Harakiri, followed by Once Upon A Time In The West, Cinema Paradise (Director's cut), and a few other masterpieces in no particular order.
Beautiful film ❤️ Loved your analysis... I learned many new things 💯
Thanks, Adarsh!
My top 3 film ever
affidavitSUPER ! 素晴らしい解説ですね Love and Create !
Thanks, TokyoSilver!
Great movie, great insight on it
Thanks, Daniel!
You deserve more subs
Thank you. Slowly but surely...
You deserve more following
Thanks!
Thanks bro. I recommend you the book 'Compound Cinematics: Akira Kurosawa and I' by same writer Shinobu Hashimoto sir. He shared his insights on screenwriting and experiences about working with Akira Kurosawa sir.
Awesome! Thank you for the recommendation.
This movie was absolute 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I absolutely loved this film.
Small nitpick: Seppuku is the ritual suicide, whilst the Hara-kiri is the ritual blade used to commit seppuku. In the west, the two are conflated, but these are two very different things.
@@ticijevish Good to know. Thanks for the insight!
Thanks for watching! If you like the work I'm doing, please consider supporting the channel at Patreon.com/ScriptSleuth
What other films would you like to see me cover? Let me know in a comment below!
You should do pulp fiction That's my favorite movie.
@@harrisonfrye7938 Um, hello:
th-cam.com/video/ljmCVz7uwOA/w-d-xo.html
@@ScriptSleuth My bad.
@@harrisonfrye7938 No worries! Enjoy.
This video is awesome! Have you ever seen Kaili Blues from 2015? One of my favourite movies, would love to see it broken down like this :)
Here's the secret - the theme _is_ the story. They are not separate things.
Fantastic video and a fantastic masterpiece, subscribed
Thank you so much! You rock.
I found 2 community members on a video that only has 1.2k views. Ain't that something
@Kuala06 well it was in my recommended
@Kuala06 maybe later
Honour without heart is true Hirakiri
I remember back when hating on motome for being a coward in the beginning😭
I know, right? It's amazing how the film makes you form quick judgments, only to slap you in the face later! 😅
It’s funny how the title in English is “Harakiri,” when the Japanese poster title clearly reads “Seppuku.” I guess the translation used the term most familiar to Westerners.
That's true. I don't think a lot of people would recognize what "seppuku" means.
@@ScriptSleuth I once heard that seppuku is a more genteel, polite way of referencing hara kiri, which is basically "cut your belly open". Like saying at a family gathering that one "committed suicide" rather than "he blew his brains out".
@@dominicgomezart4917 I agree, I don't know why they couldn't just call it Seppuku for the original title, as it is in Japanese.
@@dominicgomezart4917 That’s correct. The two words use the same Kanji (derived from Chinese) characters, but their order is reversed, and “seppuku” uses the reading of the characters derived from the original Chinese pronunciation, while “harakiri” uses the Japanese pronunciation of the characters’ signifiers. Both literally mean “to cut the stomach,” however. There’s a similar case with “kamikaze:” the characters don’t reverse, but the polite reading is “shinpu;” the former is vulgar.
@@MyOwnNameWasTaken Doesn't "kamikaze" translate as "divine wind"? It was used to name the suicide fighter pilots during WWII, but it's origin was the description of a sudden typhoon that devastated a fleet of invading Mongol ships in the 13th Century.
Great!!!
Well the guy who takes a hair knot in the end is a common worker not a samurai. So it's rather symbolical.
He was a ronin, masterless samurai. The same as his son in law. at the time they were deemed less than a common worker and were often refused work. A common worker wouldnt have been made to commit harakiri at the time and also wouldnt posses the skills to beat trained samurai let alone take the top knots of 3
Question: what other international films would you like me to cover?
Would LOVE a look at Bunuel and Carriere's collaboration. BELLE DU JOUR would be perfect.
@@MrFloopaJoopa Thanks for the suggestion!
Incendies by Villeneuve
@@izzmond3676 Good one! Noted.
Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring.
This is literally a horror movie about the terror of samurai code and honor.
@@dannysyarissy9002 Yes!
Please dont judge regarding the doubt i have came with when i yesterday watched this epic samurai movie for the first time .
In the first scene when motome came and asked for harakiri and begged for granting him two days he was refused and killed against his will
My question is when hanshiro(father in law of motome) goes on seeking revenge he was not at all aware of the fact that his son in law was killed against his will, untill he killed the all three samurai and went to the clan house himself to perform harakiri
If he didn't knew tht fact earlier that his son in law was killed against his will , whats tht logic behind going behind the three samurai and all of the clan ,what was the motive to seek revenge if he didn't knew at the time of death that his son in law was killed in this manner
Ps : i didnt find any logical reason or hint that conveyed the hanshiro about the way his sone in law was killed
hanshiro probably did not believe those 3 samurais that motome really wanted to kill himself, but even if motome really wanted to die, hanshiro knew there was no reason for motome to torture himself wit a bamboo. Also motome and hanshiro were discussing the exact scenario motome acted latter in a movie, that some ronins were asking a harakiri assistance whilst they really hoped the rich masters to just give them some money out of compassion, so hanshiro presumed motome tried to pull that trick. And lastly the 3 bad guys were acting dismissingly towards the deadman, you can see it in facial mimics, smug smiling and throwing the swords on the body, maybe it sounds like shoehorning but i believe the director deliberately chose more subtle way of conveying the menace of 3 clan samurais
Basically yeah. Hanshiro sees right through those three assholes when he brings them the dead body of his son in law.
If you are one of these types who think films (or stories of any kind) need to have airtight, perfect narratives where everything is explained away, please look for your entertainment elsewhere or endeavor to gain some perspective on the art form. Films are illusory, and no illusion is without flaw. Yours is a naïve mindset that has already poisoned and irreparably damaged the greater discourse surrounding films of a more low-brow nature made in the english speaking world. We do not wish for it to gain ground in the discourse surrounding world cinema, high brow or otherwise. Of all the things to discuss about a film that won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, asking how Hanshirō came to learn the identities of the men who dishonored his son-in-law is laughably humdrum.
He knew it was against his will from the wounds on his body as they were clearly not clean cuts. No one would ever willinly use fake bamboo blades. He could probably also tell from the extent of the cuts that they denied him a quick death. The samurai that stood with him (his 2nd) is supposed to cut off his head. But they forced him to cut horizontaly as well as verticaly fully disembowling himself before the lord lets the 2nd take his head and end his pain. At that point in time seppoku was more a formality were just peircing yoir own stomach was usually enough and the 2nd would finish the job putting them out of there misery. From the body alone he could see he had a horrible death and when he saw the bamboo blades he knew iy would have been in extruiating pain for quite some time as the blades were dull. He had to littary fall onto the blade just to get it to pierce his stomach. Terrible terrible way to die
It's like the jedi republic in star wars. Star wars basically copied concepts from the past
Yeah, too bad Toshiro Mifune turned down the role of Obi Wan Kenobi.
i love harakiri but i love samrai rebelion even more. harakiri has better fights but rebelion has a better story
I still need to see that! It's hard to find anywhere.
Please dont judge regarding the doubt i have came with when i yesterday watched this epic samurai movie for the first time .
In the first scene when motome came and asked for harakiri and begged for granting him two days he was refused and killed against his will
My question is when hanshiro(father in law of motome) goes on seeking revenge he was not at all aware of the fact that his son in law was killed against his will, untill he killed the all three samurai and went to the clan house himself to perform harakiri
If he didn't knew tht fact earlier that his son in law was killed against his will , whats tht logic behind going behind the three samurai and all of the clan ,what was the motive to seek revenge if he didn't knew at the time of death that his son in law was killed in this manner
Ps : i didnt find any logical reason or hint that conveyed the hanshiro about the way his sone in law was killed
@@sagarpanwar69 Good question. Wouldn't Hanshiro have figured out there was foul play by the way the three samurai acted when they brought Motome's body to his house? The simple fact that they allowed him to commit seppuku with a bamboo sword is itself a dishonorable action.
@@sagarpanwar69 he knew because motome was not supposed to die. he expected them to give him money to not preform the ritual., and he was supposed to come back alive.and he told hanshiro that he was gonna do that. before him there were other samurai's who did this trick as well.
There is one thing i dont understand in the film, after the corpse of the first harakiri was given to the main character, he said that he was good enough to sell his swords for his daughter and that he didnt even thinked about it. And we learn later that the child dies two days later and the woman 3 days, why didnt the main character selled his sword for a doctor, did he sat 3 days for them to die without doing it, doesnt make sense or?
He could've been overcome with grief/afraid to leave his Daughter & Grandson alone.
@@My20GUNS maybe i think its strange too do 3 days not the logical think and i think the women looked strong enough to survive one day till he would have selled it and got a doctor, mentally i dont know. but the film gives no answer it could be like you said or that his sword was more important to him then their lives, what would give the film a dark turn and would show more critical the samurai era.
The swords were sacred to samurai and considered to have a soul of its own or a soul of an ancestor/ancestors. Even a ronin wouldnt dream of selling their swords even if they have no use for them. Selling their swords were unthinkable which makes the moment mean even more when he realised what his son in law had done. He had basicaly sold his soul. The movie is essentially about challenging tradition and the samurai code of honour. How important is a code when your family is dying. Thats what he realises when hs son is brought to him butchered by blunt bamboo swords. But he still had a use for his swords in teaching the dishonourable samurai the same lesson about honour and codes as he learned. By taking there knots and trashing the sacred armour
I re read your question and to clarify the son in law sold his swords and it still wasnt enough for a dr. That is why he goes to get a payout from the noble. But not having his swords backfire on him when he has to do what he does with the bamboo fakes
@@biz09ification Yeah could be would mean that maybe revenge was more important for him as to sell it and help his family or it was to late, the film lets it open, its ok. In the west Japan has a good PR and reputation by the kids who play games from it, but the country has many society problems it seems and thinks that are dumb and disgusting. (often because of their heathen religion/traditions maybe).
Great film, terrible analiysis
Thanks!
sorry that was harsh. I didnt even finish the video, but what i saw was the narrator basically describing obvious plot points. Perhaps the analysis came towards the end
@@drainel9707 Thanks for giving it a try.
lol says someone who spelled the word analysis wrong ... what a lazy bastard. this is a great analysis.
@@ScriptSleuth drainel is a lazy bastard ... he spelled the word analysis wrong even. you did a great job, I learned a great deal. thanks!
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It's basically a rashomon in a different POV.
how? the only similiarity to Rashomon is that the screenwriter is the same, otherwise completely different themes with Rashomon leaving you wondering what actually happened