The Events Of Hara Kiri And The Unification Of Japan

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The events of Hara-kiri can be contextualized within a span of time that saw both the end of decades of war, and the unification of Japan. The unification of Japan ushered in a new line of Shoguns, Shoguns with the momentous task of designing a social and legal system that would prevent the usurpation of power by the many fringe yet powerful daimyo. Believing in the Machiavellian idea that “fear is simply a means to an end, and that end is security for the prince,” the Tokagawa Shoguns implemented a series of policies in which petty crimes were met with harsh punishments. To any astute observer, such a legal system is sure to breed hypocrisy. Indeed, it was during this time that the bushido code’s emphasis on honor dwindled. To most samurai during this time, the bushido code’s high standards of honor were unobtainable2, making disobedience common and sometimes unavoidable. But to acknowledge disobedience meant certain death, and was thus unheard of. It was in this unjust milieu that the events of Hara-kiri unfolded. Both Motome and the retainers of the Iyi were honorable samurai motivated by an inextinguishable desire to protect the ones they love; however, the unjust policies of the Shogun made this desire incompatible with the high standards of the bushido code, driving both parties to reluctantly defy the code.
The use of the armor in the first scene establishes that the Iyi are honorable samurai, and shows their desire for the public to perceive them as such. The scene begins with a close up of the helmet. The camera is held at eye level, allowing the viewer to look directly into the eyes. The camera then switches to a position below the midline, close to the feet and points upwards at the helmet, the view of a person on hi...

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...triguing to consider Motome’s state of mind when as he commits seppuku. Did he die hating the Iyi for allowing him to commit seppuku? Or did he ultimately realize the foolishness of his actions and that the Iyi had no other alternative? The latter is most likely true. In the moments before his death, we see Motome with his head down. He is relaxed and calm, his irrationality gone. He realizes that the Iyi’s decision to allow him to go through with his seppuku was not born out of greed or hate, but out of love, a love for the members of the clan and a desire to protect them from the possible repercussions of dishonor. He then breaks the clam, takes his sword, but he does not fight like Tsugumo does. He thrusts the sword into his stomach, performing seppuku for the retainers of the Iyi and their wives and children, ensuring none of them will ever be in his situation.

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