First look at Miike's "Harakiri" remake "Ichimei" on the eve of its Cannes premiere

by Chris MaGee

Have we been belly-aching about Takashi Miike's 3D remake of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 classic "Harakiri"? Sure we have! Just click here to read up on our general outrage. Of course the anger of a crew of a half-dozen or so Japanese film bloggers won't derail a film production (sadly) so now we are on the eve of the international premiere of Miike's "Ichimei". It was announced this week that the film, starring kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa in the role made famous by Tatsuya Nakadai, will be receiving its premiere at the 64th annual Cannes Film Festival. In advance of this premiere the above promotional still showing Ichikawa in the role of masterless samurai Hanshiro Tsugumo who seeks to commit ritual seppuku in the forecourt of lord Kageyu Saito... and damned if it doesn't look like a carbon copy of Kobayashi's original film! Only this time it'll be in colour... and in 3D!

Okay, we'll calm ourselves down with other Cannes 2011 screening announcements. Joining "Ichimei" at the French fest will be "Hanezu no Tsuki", the latest film from international festival darling Naomi Kawase, as well as the animated screen adaptation of the work of manga artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi, titled simply "Tatsumi", directed by Eric Khoo. You can check out all the films screening at this year's Cannes Film Festival (running May 11th to 22nd), Japanese or otherwise, by visiting the fest's official site here.