Harakiri (1962)

Action Drama History Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
→ Influenced 6 films

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.

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Films inspired by Harakiri

→ Harakiri influenced these (6)

Sources

Influenced

  1. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
    "Tarantino's House of Blue Leaves climax draws on Harakiri's choreography of one swordsman against many — flashback structure, formal rigor of duels, blood as register of moral collapse." source
  2. 13 Assassins (2010)
    "Takashi Miike's revisionist samurai epic operates in the Harakiri tradition — moral disgust at the samurai code, sustained final battle as ritual destruction." source
  3. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)
    "Miike's direct remake of Kobayashi's Harakiri — same Tsugumo story, same anti-bushido critique, brought into 3D." source
  4. The Sword of Doom (1966)
    "Okamoto's nihilistic samurai film extends Harakiri's anti-romantic critique of the warrior code into pure existential dread." source
  5. The Twilight Samurai (2002)
    "Yoji Yamada's film extends Harakiri's morally serious, anti-mythic treatment of a low-ranking samurai trapped by code and circumstance." source
  6. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
    "The Burly Brawl's one-against-many choreography and ritualized formal staging traces back through HK action cinema to Harakiri's archetypal final-battle structure." source

Harakiri (1962), directed by Masaki Kobayashi, has been cited as an influence on 6 later works, such as Kill Bill: Vol. 1, 13 Assassins, and Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. Check out the citations below.