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+---- Thread: Harakiri (1962) (/showthread.php?tid=8648)
Harakiri (1962) - Drunk Monk - 11-13-2025
In honor of Nakadai’s passing.
I remember the first time I saw this. I was very young at my grandparents house in Hawaii glued to the Japanese channel on TV (they had an early remote which fascinated me). I can still remember sitting on the floor, watching Nakadai seize the red armor with the lush tropical forest outside the window behind the TV, how it felt, the atmosphere. Musta been 55 years ago.
I have very fond memories of this film. It was my first true chanbara. It’s timeless. A classic.
Now the B&W lighting still shines. The sweaty close ups, the textures of skin and glistening perspiration is immaculate. The use of lighting when the body is delivered and the samurai leave the hovel, so poignant and effective. The fight choreo isnt as good or extensive as I remember. It’s a lot of build up to the final fights. The duel in the field is stunning with the wind in the grass, but Nakadai’s stance is weird. And the final fight is much shorter and less complex - he only kills four in the end.
Still a tremendous film, a must see in the genre. Nakadai’s intensity is what makes it work.