Lately, I’ve been coming across films that explore the decline of powerful clans and the end of samurai traditions. Of course, it’s all part of my plan to prepare for the release of 47 Ronin—but let’s keep that between us.
When it comes to Harakiri: Death of a Samurai, I have to strongly recommend it from every possible perspective. It’s not simply a story of battles and katanas but rather a harrowing depiction of how samurai, once left without a master or purpose, struggled to survive—let alone support a family.
Plot Summary
The story revolves around a practice that emerged among unemployed samurai: visiting the homes of noblemen under the pretense of committing seppuku (ritual suicide), hoping instead to be persuaded against it and offered money to live on.
Hanshiro, a retired samurai played by Ebizo Ichikawa (Mr. Brain, Musashi, Ask This of Rikyu), arrives at the House of Ii seeking to perform this act. But as his past unravels, we discover the heartbreaking reasons behind his request.
His daughter Miho, portrayed by Hikari Mitsushima (Sawako Decides, Love Exposure, Death Note), was raised solely by her father after her mother’s passing, growing into a kind and devoted young woman. Meanwhile, Eita (Monsters Club, Nodame Cantabile, Water Boys) plays Motome, the son of a fallen samurai whom Hanshiro raises as his own.
A Visually Striking and Emotional Journey
This is a difficult film to summarize without giving away key moments, but I can tell you that it masterfully explores principles, honor, and the inevitable shift from swords to firearms. How does one survive when the world no longer values the code they lived by?
Themes of morality, grief, injustice, and revenge are at the core of this story. The pain of losing loved ones and the realization that no action can truly mend what’s been lost weigh heavily throughout. Harakiri: Death of a Samurai is a deeply sorrowful yet visually poetic film. While some scenes are brutal, what makes it truly powerful is not what it shows—but what it suggests.
In the end, it is the twilight of the samurai.