Harakiri - Fighting Corruption with Courage 5/5

The practice of Harakiri is about honor/shame. For the Samurai if they’re ashamed they commit suicide because the shame is so great. And it’s through this practice that the movie makes statement about morality and corruption

Simply put: this is a Samurai’s Bitter ranting at his Harakiri ceremony. The Samurai are sort of like Boy Scouts but more hardcore. They have a code of honor. This movie shows the good side and the bad side of the Samurai. In some ways it’s an anti-Samurai film. 

But it carries an important message about morality and corruption. I think that message is clear both by the introduction shot and closing shot of the suit of armor. The armor looks imposing, frightening, and yet on the inside it’s empty, it’s essentially powerless. Like the established order in the film, they look menacing and terrifying, but due to their corruption they’re empty. 

At the end of the movie Hanshiro disrupts the armor, just like he disrupts the corrupt established order. But at the end the armor, empty is put back in place. There’s a feeling of hopelessness at the end. Things are covered up, the established order is more corrupt than the start of the film. But there’s a faint glimmer of hope, that this disturbance will be like a rock thrown into a pond that causes a ripple effect. So yes it ends on a hopeless note but there’s the message of hope that fighting against corruption is worth it in the end, rather than to sit back and let it persist. 

“When it is all said and done, our lives are like houses built on foundations of sand. One strong wind and all is gone.” 

Either your life is built on a hollow, empty foundation, or its built on something solid. The house built on sand looks strong until the wind blows and then it collapses. The house built on rock stands even in the fiercest storms. Jesus spoke directly about this in Matthew 7:24-27 when confronting the empty, hollow traditions of His day. True morality isn’t empty, it’s full of life and will not collapse in the face of the storm.

Wow...what a film! Blown away by the quality of this in all aspects of filmmaking: Production, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Action, Score, it's remarkable in every way.