Hara-Kiri: Death Of A Samurai review

Barely pausing for breath after 13 Assassins , Takashi Miike dons 3D specs to remake Masaki Kobayashi’s 1962 cult thriller.

Unfolding like a bedtime story, it tells of Hanshirô (Ebizô Ichikawa), a penniless samurai who begs a nobleman for the right to commit ritual suicide.

Taking him for a conman after a sympathetic hand-out, the suspicious lord instead recites the tragic tale of another shamed ronin who tried the same scam.

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The 3D is completely redundant and the action sporadic but unexpected gearshifts provide plenty of narrative meat.