In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for Harakiri, we will explain the film’s ending.
Cast
- Tatsuya Nakadai – Tsugumo Hanshirō (津雲 半四郎)
- Rentarō Mikuni – Saitō Kageyu (斎藤 勘解由)
- Akira Ishihama – Chijiiwa Motome (千々岩 求女)
- Shima Iwashita – Tsugumo Miho (津雲 美保)
- Tetsurō Tamba – Omodaka Hikokuro (沢潟 彦九郎)
- Ichirō Nakatani – Yazaki Hayato (矢崎 隼人)
- Masao Mishima – Inaba Tango (稲葉 丹後)
- Kei Satō – Fukushima Masakatsu (福島 正勝)
- Yoshio Inaba – Chijiiwa Jinai (千々岩 陣内)
- Yoshiro Aoki – Kawabe Umenosuke (川辺 右馬介)
- Shinobu Hashimoto – Writer
- Masaki Kobayashi – Director
The end of Harakiri explained
Recap
After exposing bushido, the samurai moral code, as a sham and triggering Saitō’s laughter, Hanshirō unveils the rest of his story. He admits to seeking out Hayato and Umenosuke before arriving at the Iyi estate, disheveling their hair by cutting off their topknots. He also battled Hikokuro, who had respectfully challenged him, resulting in another broken sword and lost topknot. Hanshirō produces these topknots as evidence, throwing them in the courtyard and challenging the clan’s honor.
A furious Saitō, feeling his clan’s reputation tarnished, orders his men to kill Hanshirō. Despite his valiant resistance, in which he eliminates four samurai, injures eight, and shatters the symbolic suit of armor, Hanshirō is finally cornered. Instead of swords, the clan uses three matchlock guns to execute him as he commits seppuku.
Worried about potential disgrace, Saitō orders all of Hanshirō’s inflicted casualties to be reported as illness-induced deaths. Simultaneously, news arrives that Hikokuro committed suicide, while Hayato and Umenosuke are pretending to be ill. Saitō insists they should also commit seppuku for their dishonor, with their deaths attributed to “illness”.
In the aftermath, the battered armor is restored and official records are amended. Hanshirō and Motome’s deaths are recorded as suicides due to mental instability. The Shōgun commends the Iyi clan for their handling of the incidents, praising their exemplification of bushido. As the cleanup continues, a worker discovers a topknot, a silent testament to the day’s events.
Meaning
Hanshirō’s Act of Rebellion
The climax of Harakiri begins with Hanshirō’s defiant act of rebellion, where he disrobes the Iyi clan of their honor by exposing the topknots of three samurai he had previously encountered. This act isn’t just an expression of personal revenge, but a calculated challenge to the clan’s superficial understanding of honor and their rigid enforcement of Bushido.
Hanshirō’s exposition of the samurai moral code as a façade is a significant turning point in the narrative. He openly criticizes the hypocrisy of the Iyi clan’s interpretation of Bushido, highlighting their prioritization of empty symbolism over empathy and fairness. This confrontation is a daring defiance against the oppressive power structure and an act of resistance against the marginalization experienced by the lower-class samurai.
Moreover, his confrontation illuminates the contrast between honor as an external societal expectation and honor as a personal ethical compass. The revelation of the topknots embodies this challenge – an act seen as deeply dishonorable by the samurai, yet carried out by Hanshirō to expose the moral bankruptcy of those who claim to uphold honor.
Implications of the Battle
The ensuing battle, where Hanshirō is ordered to be killed, is a showcase of the conflict between the individual and the oppressive societal system. Despite being outnumbered, Hanshirō manages to hold his own, symbolizing the power of personal honor and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
In his last stand, Hanshirō goes beyond physical confrontation and strikes at the symbolic heart of the clan by destroying the antique suit of armor. This armor represents the Iyi clan’s glorified past and their claim to honor and tradition. Its destruction signifies the dismantling of these illusions and further underscores Hanshirō’s critique of the hollow concept of honor upheld by the clan.
The manner in which Hanshirō is finally cornered and killed, not with swords but with matchlock guns, is poignant. This departure from samurai tradition encapsulates the themes of power and class disparity, showing the lengths the powerful will go to maintain their control. Hanshirō’s act of seppuku, performed under the fire of guns, is a final, tragic testament to the destructive cycle of honor and sacrifice imposed by the samurai code.
The Lasting Impact of Hanshirō’s Defiance
In the aftermath of the battle, the Iyi clan’s reaction further elucidates the film’s exploration of honor as a societal construct. Terrified of public disgrace, Saitō orders all of Hanshirō’s inflicted casualties to be reported as illness-induced deaths. This action, while on the surface may seem pragmatic, is an embodiment of the illusion of honor that the clan clings to.
The clan’s attempt to conceal the truth shows their concern for preserving their reputation, even in the face of clear evidence of their dishonor. This cover-up emphasizes how the power structures in society can manipulate narratives and uphold false ideals at the expense of truth and justice.
Simultaneously, the Shōgun’s commendation of the clan’s handling of the incidents further underlines the pervasiveness of this illusion. The superficial glorification of honor persists, further perpetuating the oppressive cycle.
Finally, the act of cleaning and re-erecting the armor symbolizes a stubborn attempt to restore the status quo, reaffirming the societal resistance to change. Despite the shattered illusions and the revealed hypocrisy, the clan tries to mend its image, an act which echoes the systemic and cyclical nature of societal norms and structures.
Hanshirō and Motome’s deaths being recorded as suicides due to mental instability is a deliberate erasure of their narratives, an act that further underscores the silencing and marginalization of lower-class samurai. This also serves as a critique of how societal narratives are often manipulated to preserve the status quo and protect the powerful at the expense of the marginalized.
The final image of a worker finding a severed topknot is a potent one. Even as the blood is scrubbed from the ground and the official records are rewritten, the physical evidence of the day’s events, the topknot, remains, symbolizing the lasting impact of Hanshirō’s defiance. This subtle reminder of the true events of the day, hidden within a work bucket, is a stark contrast to the carefully crafted narrative of honor and valor presented to the world.
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