Great Movies
Far Flungers
Why Harakiri is the Greatest Anti-Samurai Film Ever Made
Masaki Kobayashi's anti-establishment film still hits a nerve over half a century later.
Masaki Kobayashi's anti-establishment film still hits a nerve over half a century later.
A recap of the latest New York Film Festival and review of Woody Allen's newest film after its world premiere there.
An interview with legendary Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai about "Sword of Doom" and his extensive career in film.
Far Flunger Jana Monji looks at "47 Ronin" and sees a movie that fetishizes "Asian-ness" but muddles important details, from hairstyles to geography.
The Kobayashi movie "Harakiri" is available on Hulu and Netflix. Miike's "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai" is available on Amazon.com.
In this remake of the 1962 Masaki Kobayashi movie known as "Harakiri" in America, but "Seppuku" in Japan, Takashi Miike considers the value of one life or "Ichimei." (一命 Ichimei). In the U.S., the film is also re-named "Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai."
The Festival International du Film, held annually in Cannes, France, has become the world's most prestigious film festival—the spot on the beach where the newest films from the world's top directors compete for both publicity and awards.
