BLU-RAY
REVIEW:
HARA-KIRI DEATH OF A
SAMURAI
1/20/13
HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI, a remake of Masaki Kobayashi’s 1962 classic samurai film, Harakiri, tells the story of Hanshirô (Ebizô Ichikawa), a samurai who arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord and requests an honorable death by ritual suicide in his courtyard. The lord threatens him with the brutal tale of Motome (Eita), a desperate young ronin (a samurai with no lord or master) who made a similar request with ulterior motives, only to meet a grisly end. Undaunted, Hanshirô begins to tell his own story with an ending no one could
foresee.
Directed by visionary auteur Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition), HARA-KIRI releases January 22 on DVD from Cinedigm Entertainment Group, a division of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. (NASDAQ: CIDM), and Tribeca Film. Following its release on Cable VOD and digital platforms on July 17, the film began screening in 3D at select theaters on July 20 and continued releasing in cities across the country throughout the summer and
fall.
Set in 17th-century Japan, HARA-KIRI examines the “ritual suicide by self-disembowelment,” that a ronin performs at the house of a noble lord. In some cases, they make a request for hara-kiri without intending to follow through, knowing that they will be sent away with money. As Hanshirô continues to tell his story to the lord, his connection to Motome is revealed through a series of flashbacks and his true intentions for visiting the house become
clearer.
With stunning cinematography and gripping performances, HARA-KIRI is a thrilling exploration of revenge, honor and individuality in the face of oppressive
power.
“What excites me about resurrecting this film from the past is being able to feel first-hand the existence of the universal human suffering which HARA-KIRI depicts at its core as it transcends time, genres and countries,” said Miike..
The film was nominated for several awards, including Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Best Art Direction and Best Supporting Actress at the 2012 Japan Academy Awards and Best Composer and Best Supporting Actress at the Asian Film Awards.
VIDEO:
Anamorphic Widescreen 1080P
AUDIO:
Japanese 5.1 DTS-HD Master
Audio Dolby Digital
Subtitles - English
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Geoffrey Gilmore, from Tribeca Film, Discusses HARA-KIRI, Presented by American Express
