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

Författare

Annelie Humble

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.

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