Watch Order
0 / 2 watchedOriginal then remake.
About Harakiri
Harakiri follows Hanshiro Tsugumo, a ronin who arrives at the Ii clan manor requesting an honorable suicide, only to reveal a plan to expose the cruelty behind the ritual. Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 film stages the tale in stark black and white with long static takes. Takashi Miike's 2011 version retells the same plot in color and 3D with more explicit flashbacks.
The two films share characters and structure but differ in tone, with Kobayashi focusing on institutional critique and Miike on family grief. Watching the original first lets viewers notice what Miike keeps, cuts and expands. The remake assumes familiarity with the basic twist and spends more time on Motome's suffering.
Good to know
Watch the 1962 film first, then the 2011 remake. There is no chronological alternative since both cover the same 1630 events in the same order. The remake is not a sequel, so story order does not apply. Viewers short on time can watch only Kobayashi's version, which remains the definitive telling, but the pair makes a strong double feature on ritual, poverty and honor.
