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Licensor Information
Shochiku
Directed by: Masaki Kobayashi
Featuring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentaro Mikuni, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsuro Tanba, Masao Mishima, Ichiro Nakaya, Kei Sato, Yoshio Inaba, Yoshiro Aoki
Of all Masaki Kobayashi's attacks on the cruelty and inhumanity perpetrated by authoritarian power (including The Human Condition and Samurai Rebellion), perhaps none are more brilliant than his visceral, mesmerising Harakiri [aka Seppuku].
In a magnificent performance, Tatsuya Nakadai (Yojimbo, The Face of Another, Ran) stars as Hanshiro Tsugumo, a masterless down-and-out samurai who enters the manor of Lord Iyi, requesting to commit ritual suicide on his property. Suspected of simply fishing for charity, Hanshiro is told the gruesome tale of the last samurai who made the same request but Hanshiro will not be moved...
With its intricate structure and pressure-cooker atmosphere, Kobayashi's first jidai-geki period drama is a full-scale demolition job of samurai ideals and feudal hypocrisy, filmed with artistry and surgical precision, and scored by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu. Adapted from the same source novel in 2011 by notorious auteur Takashi Miike, the original winner of the 1963 Special Jury Prize at Cannes still stands as a startling moment in Japanese cinema.
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the UK home viewing première of one of the great blood-soaked revenge epics of the cinema, alongside Oldboy, Kill Bill, and Dead Man's Shoes.
In a magnificent performance, Tatsuya Nakadai (Yojimbo, The Face of Another, Ran) stars as Hanshiro Tsugumo, a masterless down-and-out samurai who enters the manor of Lord Iyi, requesting to commit ritual suicide on his property. Suspected of simply fishing for charity, Hanshiro is told the gruesome tale of the last samurai who made the same request but Hanshiro will not be moved...
With its intricate structure and pressure-cooker atmosphere, Kobayashi's first jidai-geki period drama is a full-scale demolition job of samurai ideals and feudal hypocrisy, filmed with artistry and surgical precision, and scored by celebrated composer Toru Takemitsu. Adapted from the same source novel in 2011 by notorious auteur Takashi Miike, the original winner of the 1963 Special Jury Prize at Cannes still stands as a startling moment in Japanese cinema.
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the UK home viewing première of one of the great blood-soaked revenge epics of the cinema, alongside Oldboy, Kill Bill, and Dead Man's Shoes.
Streaming Options
3830.
+1650
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
Blu-ray
DVD
Discs:
BD-50 (1 Disc)
DVD-9 (1 Disc)
Total: 2 Discs
Regions:
B (Blu-ray)
2 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
2.40:1
Audio Options:
Japanese DTS-HD MA Mono 2.0
Japanese Dolby Digital Mono 2.0
Resolution:
1080p/24
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Interview, Theatrical Trailer, Booklet
- Original theatrical trailer
- Excerpt from a rare Directors Guild of Japan video interview with director Masaki Kobayashi, moderated by filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda
- An illustrated 28-page booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Philip Kemp, a 1963 interview with Masaki Kobayashi, and rare archival production stills
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