Provoking, great structure and excellent story. The cinematography and music weren't imo that great though. Pacing was a bit off at some moments and the action scenes in the end were horrible.

Easily one of the best samurai movies ever made. Flawlessly fits into the genre while, at the same time, dismantling the (often romanticized) concept of the samurai. The story unfolds slowly at first, but the last hour was riveting, due in part to Kobayashi's innovative direction and Nakadai's compelling performance. Kobayashi certainly gives Kurosawa a run for his money.

This film's luxurious pacing accentuates its severity, and allows for a wonderfully nuanced performance to come through what could easily have been a straightforward story. Nakadai's manic disposition passes effortlessly from extreme stoicism to humorous resignation, which makes his characters evolution interesting despite a conclusion that is clear from early in the film. The shifting world in which it is set struck me as eternally relevant, as it shows time displacing the individual.

Such an insightful look on samurais and well humans in general. It also has wonderful sword fighting and is completely brutal. Brilliant in other words.

I pinned this move about halfway through and I could tell how great it was going to be, even with the brilliant twist beginning. The last half hour really took me in with all the swordplay and instantly made it one of my favorite movies of all time. Again, another brilliant tale of conservatives bending traditions to their agenda, and of course, when the hypocrisy is thrown right in their faces, they turn to the way of the gun to silence the truth.

Absolutely towering masterwork.

A fascinating and unorthodox take on the samurai genre. If its pacing takes a while to get used to, rest assured that it's both warranted and entirely worth what can sometimes feel like a trudge. The effect is that at times, you will want to wriggle free but the film, in its relentlessness, simply won't let you.

Wonderful samurai movie that goes against the conventions of a normal samurai movie.

A powerful critique of authority that calls into question not only the hypocrisy of the feudal system but the Samurai code itself, "Harakiri" is an anti-Samurai film that nevertheless concludes with perhaps the greatest sword fight on record. The bulk of the film--the sequences with Hanshiro in the courtyard--are flawless, gripping, filled with tension, but many of the flashbacks are visually stunning in a way that distracts us with their beauty instead of reinforcing the dark heart of the film.

Unsettling, depressing, and absolutely superbly made.

#966

Effective if straightforward critique of the myth and code of the samurai, played in a melodramatic register, boosted by excellent cinematography and many remarkable and memorable shots.

Kobayashi deconstructs the samurai way. His tale about honour, unfolding slowly and assuredly, is thoughtful and memorable, framings as beautiful as always. I very much appreciate that he keeps his actors restrained.

The cream of the crop of chanbara films. It's hard to imagine that a film that runs well over two hours and consists of a samurai sitting on a mat in a garden telling a story would be captivating at all. But this is by far the best samurai film I've ever seen. And it gets better with each subsequent viewing.

A haunting critique of the historic Japanese code of honor. It's tone and style reminded me a lot of Unforgiven. As a bonus, the visuals are masterful.

Has one of the best final acts to grace cinema.

Brilliant film, a must see for film fans.

One of the first Samurai films I watched that wasn't all about killing but more about storytelling.

Seven Samurai gets a pal.

# 918

A brilliant, and very dark film. Simply a classic!

A movie about death, and the downfall (of samurai) in the broadest sense. A magnificent movie full of symbolism and subtle tension, though losing a lot of it's momentum somewhere after the middle, regains it's power towards the end.

Its plot at once generic and pleasantly fresh, this Samurai film relies on slow-burning suspense, and is a cinematographic marvel to behold.