HARAKIRI (Neue Blicke auf die japanische Filmgeschichte)

In the organizer's words:

Wed 9.10., 20h
SEPPUKU Harakiri Masaki Kobayashi Japan 1962 35 mm Japanese OV with German and French subtitles 133'
Based on a ronin, a masterless samurai, who arrives at the court of the influential Iyi clan to die honorably by hara-kiri, the consequences of strict hierarchical structures and blind obedience are shown in flashbacks. By depicting symmetrically arranged interiors, Kobayashi created a link between rigid forms and rigid rules. He contrasted the stylized beauty of traditional Japan with modern cinematic means such as fast cuts, pans and close-ups.