Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)

Compared to the original 1962 Masaki Kobayashi film this movie is shallow and meaningless. But even taken on its own merits it's still pretty flawed.

An extremely powerful first act gives way to a ponderous middle, where the Ryuichi Sakamoto score over-dresses dreary long-winded sequences. Then it all culminates in a last act that is exciting both visually and intellectually... but completely unearned.

Miike has rarely been able to close in on a theme in his work with much accuracy (the two big exceptions that come to mind are Audition and Visitor Q, respectively being powerful explorations of misogyny in Japanese society and the collapse of the Japanese family), but when his films are crazed and breezy and fun, that's rarely a criticism worth voicing. This time the subject matter demands something more, and whatever Miike has to say about the Ruling Class or misplaced tradition or the role of the noble and ethical warrior in a time of peace comes out hopelessly convoluted.

Also, the 3D sucks and gives nothing to the experience except for muddling some gorgeous images with that dark uninspired light that those stupid glasses impose on even the best shot of 3D films.

So what's good about it? Well, the projected lighting issues aside, it's a beautiful looking movie. Miike always knows where to place his camera, is never afraid of silence (sabotaged repeatedly by the uninspired score) and the movie has a wonderful seasons motif. Some of the acting is wonderful to watch and when it's being a powerful act of filmmaking, it's mighty powerful.

But here Miike doesn't quite have the right touch and the lack of dedication to a deeper exploration of theme makes the film seem little more than a sequence of events with hardly any cohesion.

Fmovies: Director Takashi Miike has emerged and grown as an explosion of artistry in modern Japanese cinema, from controversial past image, from international notoriety for depicting shocking scenes of extreme violence. He became an auteur to write his mark in modern world cinema. With unmatched emotional intensity, using silence as fierce force, he got abilities of higher order. With incomparable emotional portrayal, unmatched visual precision, beauty and poetry, he became a legend of modern cinema. His style is slow, powerful, intense, beautiful and spiritual. With Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai(2011) Takashi Miike is ought to have great respect as much as akira kurosawa got. His style of making is like injecting venom directly into our nerves, instantly it flows to our brain, spreads all over the body to every cell of it, and blocks all the movement of consciousness so potently, instantly. We are not but to surrender to its emotional potency and masterful artistry. Suddenly we become helpless and merge into visuals of painful melancholy. We become helpless as the characters of his movie. In fact, we are all same as human beings, since the beginning of human race. Our inner emotions are same. Our instincts are same. But there is awaking in some souls. They struggle for truth. They need to fight with brutality of customs, traditions and with ignorance of cultural madness. Characters of Takashi Miike's new movies are indeed spiritually awakened, and able to understand the true values of life. They fight with traditional madness in the name of respectability and the honour. Ignorance is darker than darkness. It is the cause of all the misery of mankind. His characters have wisdom of life. They fight with ignorance.

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai(2011) is more matured than his magnum opus 13 Assassins(2010). Those who liked 13 Assassins(2010) for solely action sequences may not like Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai(2011), but who liked visual artistry of 13 Assassins(2010) should not miss this movie. Final action sequence is unique and unforgettable. People who like gore may disappoint to watch it. But indeed it is a classic samurai sword fight we can't imagine to see on a screen since the birth of cinema, for its classic nature and action choreography. I am sure no one ever composed such a sword fight in the history of cinema. One must prepare to see an epic about poverty and ignorance, rather than to watch merely an action movie. It is very sensitive movie. Legendary music composer ryuichi sakamoto's mystical music made this move as sensitive as true to life, like pure poetry, to create a transcendental experience. Takashi Miike is not only master of swords, indeed he is¬ master in human expression. We can't see him in the shade of his past movies. Right now he is a master. No one can deny it.

The Japanese cinema used to be much more powerful in the past. This remake of classic masterpiece Harakiri is far worse in many ways. It toned down criticism of authority, that is the core of the original movie. The central story is overdrawn, and it does not bring much new. What is new in this presentation is almost always at a loss, spare a somewhat simpler structure. Acting is also better in the original. But what is most annoying, is that some key subtle points are missing in this version, almost as if they were not understood, or worse yet, almost if hypocrisy of the authorities is to be whitewashed. It is far less powerful rendering of the story, it lacks authenticity that Kobayashi had with his then contemporary comments. By all means, if you can, see the original first. One of the least justified and worst remakes. However, when the original is so great, this lazy if not outright stupid remake still leaves us with a somewhat shabby but not too bad a movie. It is a disappointment coming from a director that had better days, and especially from a cinematography that seems to have grown tired, and has been surpassed by South Korea but also China to an extent.

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai fmovies. HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI is Takashi Miike's follow-up to the crowd-pleasing, SEVEN SAMURAI-alike, 13 ASSASSINS. This film is a whole different kettle of fish entirely and it's almost as if Miike went deliberately out of his way to make an anti-13 ASSASSINS; there's no action here, none of the wonderfully choreographed fight scenes that made his previous film such a smash.

Instead, HARA-KIRI is an intense and emotional drama that explores notions of honour, familial ties and duty, packaging it in such a way that makes it a unique movie. As with most Miike, it's a sometimes obscure, often unwieldy production, deliberately going out of its way to be as slow-paced as possible and letting the story unfold in real time. Flashbacks are used extensively and those looking for an explosive, revenge-fuelled drama would do well to seek elsewhere as this isn't satisfying in that way at all.

Instead, it's a unique beast. The first 30 minutes is completely horrifying, a grisly ordeal that nearly manages to outdo PASSION OF THE Christ in its depiction of on screen suffering and pain. The rest of the film is a slow burner, although it does build up to an effective climax of sorts. The actors are well accomplished, with the excellent Ebizo Ichikawa holding the fort for much of the time. Needless to say, the level of technical proficiency is high and the film as a whole is expertly made; the intense drama of the characters' ordeals makes it one of Miike's most mature works yet.

Takashi returns to the samurai world after the success of '13 assassins' in 2011. This movie was a remake of 1962 'Harakiri' which was also a massive hit movie. I have not seen the original but this movie blown me away. As usual the story opens slow and hard to identify the situation of the story but at the right middle of the movie the flashback strikes with awesome drama about poverty and family sentiment. Once the flashback was told you will easily say where the movie is heading. The story was classic and the movie was presented with rich cinematography. The first digital 3D movie for Takashi Miike as well the first 3D movie to premier at 2011 Cannes film festival.

You have to learn a word to understand the movie completely. 'Seppuku' - which means ritual suicide committed by a samurai. So that is why it's called 'Hara-kiri: death of a samurai'. You must have patience during opening sequences, without character and story development you will be in a tough position to understand about what's going on. While the story and character progress with the development you will start to get and you may fall for the emotion parts if you are a tenderhearted. And also you will be uncomfortable during 'seppuku' scene.

Takashi Miike's career best, this is what already everyone saying about it. But Its to hard to say which was his best, I like many of his works. I might be overwhelmed by the watch but will be happy to recommend it to others. I was very little unhappy for the ending scene otherwise I could have said it is the best of Takashi's work.

I am so curious about Takashi Miike's upcoming and Hollywood debutante project 'The outside' with Tom Hardy. Expecting it would be another 'The last samurai', I wish a good luck to the team.

...for see it. and for admire. the memories about classic samurai films, the impecable cinematography, the story and the courage to give more than portrait of a legendary Japanese social category. because it is a film about values. and family. and illusions. and sacrifice. and one of clear demonstrations about different forms of cruelty. and fear. that did it one of films with the force of experience. many scenes are familiar. but the moral lesson is more significant than any cultural reference. sure, for a part of public, impressive are the fight scenes. or the splendid cinematography. but, the reflection about life and decisions and hope and joy and cynism are the basic gift of this gem.