Blu-ray Review: Hara-kiri - Death of a Samurai (2011)

Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai is director Takashi Miike’s second dip into the waters of feudal Japan in as many years, and like the well received 13 Assassins (see my review – although note that I now like the film more than I did when I wrote it, enough to rank it my eighth favourite film of last year) it is a remake. The original in this instance, though not as well known as Kurosawa’s many samurai classics, is revered as a masterpiece, so Miike was taking a bit of a risk in updating it – in 3D no less. But, even more so than 13 Assassins, Hara-kiri is a restrained piece; largely contained within two small locations (a feudal lord’s palace, and an impoverished samurai’s own house) and with a marked economy of motion in both camera and actors.

Hara-kiri does what it says on the tin in that it all revolves around a disgraced samurai’s request to commit ritual suicide in the local lord’s courtyard. (“Seppuku” is the more technically precise term for such an act, but “Hara-kiri” was deemed a more well-known word to westerners when the original film was released internationally. This remake has retained the name.) However, when the samurai makes the request, he is told the story of a previous samurai who asked to do the same thing some months earlier; a flashback depicts how it didn’t exactly go well. This flashback takes up the first act of the film and is extraordinarily intense. Later flashbacks reveal more about the tragic samurai, but this early section turns out to be easily the best part of the film. The plot lays almost all its cards on the table by the half way point, making the second half predictable and devoid of any further revelations.

This predictability comes to hamper the film to a disappointing extent in the later stages. Misery piles on misery for the central characters without any light at the end of the tunnel so viewing becomes a gruelling affair. The ending doesn't quite make the slog worthwhile; it takes a left turn from downbeat realism and starts to stretch credulity with a final action scene that is both anticlimactic and far-fetched. It helps a lot that the acting drips with authenticity and power; the verbal duelling is more impressive than the physical variety. It's a shame that the film fails to live up to the early promise, but what a beginning it is, worth seeing the film for on its own. The rest of the film is hardly a failure, but its grip inexorably slackens.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B (TBC) / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Revolver

Presentation
The film was shot in native 3D but there's only a 2D Blu-ray release on these shores, which is currently exclusive to Play.com. The picture is generally good and stable, with subdued colours and decent detailing. There's perhaps just slightly more grain (or digital noise) that may be expected from a digital source. The soundtrack in DTS-HD 5.1 is fairly quiet with little in the way of surround activity, but its precise sparseness ably supports the director's intentions.

Extras
Nothing.



Summary
The first act of Hara-kiri is extraordinarily intense and suspenseful. The plot unravels a bit thereafter, but fans of the jidaigeki genre will still find it a rewarding watch.