Harakiri [VHS]
Dramatically compelling and emotionally intense,Harakiriis a  certified classic of Japanese film, and a riveting study of samurai codes of  honor. Unlike Kurosawa's rousing samurai epics, this is an uncompromisingly  tragic tale, exposing the hypocrisy of 17th-century Japanese society with its  story of a family destroyed by the cruelty of feudalism toward warriors in  peacetime. The film is truly Shakespearean in its emotional scope, embodied by  the unforgettable performance of Tatsuya Nakadai (star of Kurosawa'sRan)  as an elder warrior seeking revenge for the unnecessaryseppuku(ritual  suicide) of his beloved son-in-law. Director Masaki Kobayashi begins at story's  end, then recounts the narrative (adapted from a novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi) as  told by Nakadai's character. The effect is almost unbearably suspenseful,  leading to an explosive climax of supreme defiance and samurai swordplay,  erupting from a battle of wills, called bluffs, and hotly defended honor. For  connoisseurs of samurai action,Harakiriis not to be missed.--Jeff  Shannon