Great Japanese Cinema, Part 1 of Many

I saw a lot of films in 2008, and none impressed me more than this one: "Hara Kiri" (a.k.a. "Harakiri") (1963), by Masaki Kobayashi.

Hara Kiri is set in 17th Century Japan: the consolidation of power within the Shogunate is causing many clans to disintegrate, leaving many former Samurai doomed to subsist as desperate Ronin. The film is a dark, stirring, and far-reaching commentary on society and societal institutions: hypocrisy, shallowness, and abuse of power are powerfully addressed.

The acting is superb, with a tremendous lead performance from Tatsuya Nakadai, one of the greatest of Japanese actors and a long-time collaborator with Akira Kurosawa (e.g. Ran; Kagemusha). The music, composed by Toru Takemitsu, is particularly effective and yet another reason to see this film.

The film scooped the Cannes Special Jury Prize, which (at the time of the award) was the second most important award of the Cannes Film Festival.

I recommend Criterion's DVD, which is typically excellent, and comes with many extras.