Great Movie Scenes: Episode 8 - Seppuku

Ronin Tsugumo Hanshiro (Nakadai Tatsuya) appears at the gate of Lord Iyi, requesting permission to perform seppuku, ritual suicide, rather than continue living destitute. The clan believes that he, following an increasing trend, is simply seeking charity, and the clan elder Saito (Mikuni Rentaro) seeks to dissuade him by relating the fate of a certain other ronin who recently came by on an identical errand. Saito believes that his tale will have the necessary moral effect.

This film, a personal favourite, is perhaps the most eloquent and sophisticated denuniciation of authoritarianism in cinema. Crucially, the clan's viewpoint is articulated in full; their actions are not dictated by villainy but by a clear but inflexible logic. Their sole priority is to uphold the rigid structure of their society, and considerations such as the desperate poverty of the ronin and their families cannot get in the way.

The perfect symbol for this ultimate submission to authority is the act of seppuku. It symbolises the abnegation of self upon the order of the clan head as punishment for offending against a doctrine that insists, above all, on eternal readiness for war, even when there is no enemy.

Category:

Film & Animation

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• Seppuku
• Harakiri
• Kobayashi
• Masaki
• Great
• Movie
• Scenes
• Nakadai
• Tatsuya
• Rentaro
• Mikuni
• Tamba
• Tetsuro