Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

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Movie: Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai
Romaji: Ichimei
Japanese: 一命
Director: Takashi Miike
Assistant Director: Ryosuke Kanesaki
Writer: Yasuhiko Takiguchi, Kikumi Yamagishi
Producer: Toshiaki Nakazawa, Jeremy Thomas
Cinematographer: Nobuyasu Kita
World Premiere: May, 2011 (Cannes Film Festival)
Release Date: October 15, 2011
Runtime: 126 min.
Genre: Period Drama
Production Company: Shochiku
Distributor: Shochiku
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Set during the 17th century when the samurai class struggled to find work.

Poverty-strickenn samurai Hanshiro (Ebizo Ichikawa) enters the House of Ii, run by Kageyu (Koji Yakusho), and requests to commit seppuku (suicide by disembowelment) in their courtyard. Kageyu believes Hanshiro is bluffing and tells the tale of Motome (Eita), a young ronin who last came into the House of Ii and asked for the same thing. To dissuade others from extorting handouts from their group, they called Motome's bluff and forced him to commit seppuku with a dull bamboo sword he carried.

Hanshiro undeterred by Kageyu asks for the House’s top samurai to assist him, but they are absent. Hanshiro then makes one last request, setting in motion a showdown driven by revenge ...

Notes

Remake of 1962 film "Harakiri"(Seppuku), directed by Masaki Kobayashi.
"Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai" is the first jidaigeki (period drama) film shot in 3D.

Cast



Ebizo Ichikawa	Eita	Hikari Mitsushima	Koji Yakusho	Naoto Takenaka
Hanshiro Tsukumo	Motome Chiziiwa	Miho	Kageyu Saitou	Tajiri



Munetaka Aoki	Hirofumi Arai	Kazuki Namioka	Takashi Sasano	Baijaku Nakamura
Hikokuro Omodaka	Hayatonosho Matsuzaki	Yumanosuke Kawabe	Sousuke	Jinnai Chiziiwa

Additional Cast Members:

Yoshihisa Amano - Sasaki
Goro Daimon - Buddhist priest
Takehiro Hira - Naotaka

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Film Festivals

2011 (64th) Cannes Film Festival - May 11 - May 22, 2011 - Competition *World Premiere
2011 (30th) Vancouver International Film Festival - September 29-October 14, 2011 - Special Presentations *North American Premiere
2011 (16th) Busan International Film Festival - October 6-14, 2011 - A Window on Asian Cinema
2011 (44th) Sitges Film Festival - October 6-16, 2011 - Official Fantastic in Compettition
2011 (27th) Warsaw Film Festival - October 7-16, 2011 - Special Screenings
2011 (55th) BFI London Film Festival - October 12-27, 2011 - Film on the Square
2011 (48th) Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival - November 3-24, 2011 - Panorama
2011 (22nd) Stockholm International Film Festival - November 9-20, 2011 - Asian Images *Nordic Premiere
2012 (36th) Hong Kong International Film Festival - March 21-April 5, 20112 - Gala Presentation
2012 (12th) Nippon Connection - May 2-May 6, 2012 - Nippon Cinema *German Premiere
2012 (13th) Japan Filmfest Hamburg - May 23-27, 2012
2012 (15th) Shanghai International Film Festival - June 16-24, 2012 - Official Selection
2012 (61st) Melbourne International Film Festival - August 2-19, 2012 - Accent on Asia

Awards

Best Cinematography (Nobuyasu Kita) - 2011 (66th) Mainichi Film Awards - January 18, 2012
Best Cinematography (Nobuyasu Kita) - 2012 (7th) Osaka Cinema Festival - March 4, 2012

Comments

Lila May 21 2015 11:42 am I've watched this movie and this is awesome. The drama is about a poor samurai who wants to avenge for his family. He choose to do Harakiri in a wealth man's house. Before he does Harakiri, he asks the house's head to grant his last request. While that house tries to grant his last request, they learn that something is wrong and, in same time, the story about his family's sad story is being uncovered.

Mugai Jul 29 2013 1:21 am There is a pretty good synopsis, if you aren't slothful, right above. On another note, to say it is a suicide mission is rightfully ridiculous. The remake was just as good as the original. For there to be shit tv show remakes of classics, like 7 Samurai (the anime for instance, has several women playing key roles as "samurai", though this is pure nonsense, as women cannot be samurai.) which are praised, when this masterpiece is not, is disgusting. Something to consider on parting; Black and white does not equate to a good movie.

moo Oct 08 2011 12:53 am i love miike but remaking this is a suicide mission!

Yoyo Aug 01 2011 1:46 am Ehh? So what is this movie about? Could someone provide a synopsis...in English please?

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Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

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Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

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Cast

Trailers

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Film Festivals

Awards

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