Glorifieras självmord i japansk film? - En tolkning av Seppuku och Jisatsu saakuru

Summary, in English

This thesis investigates how suicide is portrayed in japanese films and if it is glorified or not. Two films have been chosen for analysis, Seppuku (Harakiri, Masaki Kobayashi, 1962) and Jisatsu saakuru (Suicide Club/Circle, Shion Sono, 2001). The purpose of the thesis is to find out if suicide is glorified in these two films and to examine the historical and reality connections of the timeperiods the films take place, the 17th and the 21th century, and the timeperiods the films are made in, the 1960s and the 2000s. The conclusion of this analysis is that Jisatsu saakuru, which is about ordinary suicide, shows glorification of suicide whereas Seppuku, which is about glorified suicide, does not glorify suicide. Jisatsu saakuru’s connection to reality during the early 21th century is strong due to the problems regarding suicide at the time. Seppuku’s contemporary connection is also strong, both considering the Second world war’s aftermath and the samurai’s severe situation after the japanese civil war in the 17th century, when the film take place.

• Author: Annelie Humble
• Department/s: Film Studies
• Publishing year: 2010
• Language: Swedish
• Full text: Available as PDF - 170 kB; Download statistics
• Document type: Student publication for Bachelor's degree
• Topic: Arts and Architecture; Social Sciences; Cultural Sciences; History and Archaeology
• Keywords: samtida japansk kultur; 1960-tal; 1600-tal; japansk historia; japansk filmhistoria; filmvetenskap; Akira Kurosawa; Masaki Kobayashi; Shion Sono; Seven Samurai; Suicide Circle; Suicide Club; Harakiri; Seppuku; Second world war; kamikaze; suicide; samurai; 21th century; contemporary japanese culture; 1960s; 17th century; japanese history; japanese filmhistory; Film studies; Japan; De Sju Samurajerna.; Andra Världskriget; självmord; samurajer; 2000-tal
• Supervisor: Tommy Gustafsson