Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai
Tribeca Film | Release Date: July 20, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonAug 16, 2012
Takashi's film is sumptuous, with rich cinematography, costumes and set design. Half the time it is a game of chess - the battle of wits between Motome and the lord. Half of the time it is a moving melodrama. Read full review
100
Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonJul 17, 2012
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai is more than just another bid for respectability, like "13 Assassins" -it may well be Miike's best film, a patient, ominous piece of epic storytelling that conscientiously rips the scabs off the honorable samurai mythology. Read full review
90
SalonAndrew O'HehirJul 20, 2012
With this sober, mournful, gorgeously mounted and marvelously acted drama, Miike connects himself to the greatest traditions of Japanese film and to the period of historical self-examination that followed the debacle of World War II. And he also crafts one hell of a fable of heroism. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubScott TobiasJul 19, 2012
Arriving on the heels of "13 Assassins," Miike's gloriously irreverent take on the samurai action genre, Hara-Kiri seems conventional by his standards, especially in a long middle section that occasionally dips into sentimentality. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottJul 19, 2012
More moving than shocking, it proceeds slowly and gracefully, and the few scenes of bloodshed are emotionally intense rather than showily sensational. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanJul 19, 2012
Deftly weaving double plotlines, gorgeous camera work, and deep compassion, Miike contrasts ritualistic "honor" with the truly honorable, as poor but noble squires face off against powerful lords cushioned by tradition and pride. Read full review
80
Time OutKeith UhlichJul 17, 2012
What most distinguishes the redo is the often remarkable use of 3-D: Miike turns the format's inherent limitations, especially the tendency toward visual murkiness, to his advantage, fully immersing us in a world suffused with moral and ethical rot. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawJul 16, 2012
The endlessly prolific Takashi Miike returns with this superbly acted revenger's tragedy. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezSep 21, 2012
Reveals yet another facet of this always-unpredictable filmmaker: a flair for compassionate, humane melodrama. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyJul 26, 2012
It's superb filmmaking, uncluttered and utterly assured. Miike places us in the household of Li, offering up rich, deep colors, with an almost painterly exploration of fields of depth and volume. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. MusettoJul 20, 2012
A 3-D epic that, despite its title, is more of a soap opera than a swordplay thriller. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnJul 19, 2012
With its lethargic pace, Hara Kiri may disappoint more often than it delights, but the payoff is extreme in more ways than one. Read full review
70
NPRMark JenkinsJul 20, 2012
Hara-Kiri is formal, deliberate, leisurely almost to a fault. It features the sort of slow-gliding camera movements favored by Kenji Mizoguchi, one of the greatest 20th century Japanese filmmakers - and the one least like Miike. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMark OlsenJul 19, 2012
Hara-Kiri builds and builds as well, but its revelations are more character-derived that action-oriented, so the film never reaches the cattle-on-fire craziness of its predecessor. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn LevyAug 9, 2012
Hara-Kiri is low on blood and shock, emphasizing performance and atmosphere. Read full review
60
EmpireSimon CrookJul 16, 2012
If Miike's re-tune of Masaki Kobayashi's bleak samurai tale is a surprisingly subdued affair, aficionados will still find enough sword-based shenanigans to keep them engrossed. Read full review
60
Total FilmPaul BradshawJul 16, 2012
The 3D is completely redundant and the action sporadic but unexpected gearshifts provide plenty of narrative meat. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAug 29, 2012
You have to wonder – not too hard, though – what this gore-soaked auteur's bedtime dreams are like. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineCalum MarshJul 16, 2012
Takashi Miike lets his familiar tastelessness get the better of him, relishing the grisly seppuku-by-bamboo in unnecessary detail. Read full review
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