What is the difference between seppuku and hara-kiri?
Also, I havent seen the film (hoping that the Criterion DVD comes out soon), but I have seen photos of his suicide which are very graphic. How does the film portray that moment?
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Hara-Kiri literally means belly cut in Japanese and hence is a crude word for the term. Seppuku refers to the ritualistic act which was often considered noble in certain times and is a more appropriate term.
Interesting because what we see at the end is both. Mishima does the ritual making it seppuku whereeas in the climax of Runaway Horses the character does it without ritual.
"Ça va by me, madame...Ça va by me!" - The Red Shoes
"Harry Carrie" is something Americans can pronounce. (Easily, but incorrectly)
Seppuku is the proper Japanese term for the suicide ritual.
When is Seppuku considered the most appropriate?
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