RECOMMENDED FILM #7
Seppuku by Masaki Kobayashi
On this letterboxd no.1 ranking masterpiece of Masaki Kobayashi, he presents us with a seemingly simple tale set within the rigid codes of the samurai world. A former ronin that goes by the name of Hanshiro Tsugumo arrives at the door of House of Iyi, looking to commit Seppuku after becoming masterless. What follows is both a shocking revelation and a simple request for dignity within a system that has long forgotten what it truly means.
Through intricate dialogue and masterfully composed black-and-white frames, Kobayashi slowly dismantles the romantic image of the samurai that Japanese cinema had celebrated for decades. What begins as a quiet, almost ceremonial encounter gradually unfolds into something far more devastating.
Seppuku is not merely a samurai story. It is a powerful reflection on hypocrisy and the cruelty that can hide behind traditions when they are followed blindly. Kobayashi’s camera is sharp but deeply human, exposing the emptiness behind hollow ideals while never losing sight of the suffering of the individual. Combined with Toru Takemitsu’s unforgettable score, Seppuku becomes something far more haunting than the samurai tales we are used to.
To watch a trailer of it, click here.
Who is The Human Condition’s and Seppuku’s director Masaki Kobayashi?
Born in February 1916, the auteur Masaki Kobayashi has directed both of the top two films in the letterboxd top 500 list, in which he never hesitated to criticise authorities. Having lived through the brutal realities of World War II as a soldier himself, Kobayashi developed a deeply humanistic cinema that constantly questioned power, hierarchy, and blind obedience. In works like Seppuku, The Human Condition trilogy, and Kwaidan, he explored the suffering of the individual against oppressive systems, often stripping away romantic myths to expose the painful truths beneath them. His films are precise, morally charged, and visually striking, combining rigorous composition with an unwavering sense of compassion for the powerless. Kobayashi’s cinema does not celebrate authority — it challenges it, reminding us that true honor lies not in obedience, but in humanity.
Recommended film #8
The Human Condition Trilogy by Masaki Kobayashi
This letterboxd no.2 ranked 9.5 hour brutal war epic follows Kaji, a pacifist and idealist man who is offered the post of labour chief at a large mining operation in Manchuria, which also grants him exemption from military service. He is a well intentioned man, but he is naive. We see him transition from being a labor campsupervisor to an Imperial Army soldier and eventually Soviet POW. Constantly trying to rise above a corrupt system, he time and time again finds his morals an impediment rather than an advantage.
I must warn you, this film is brutal like no other film you ever saw. It doesn’t hold back when showing you the cruelties of the monstrosity that is called ‘‘war’. Be ready for some heavy storytelling as this film is a stark and bleak description of war.
