aka Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman ,
Takeshi Kitano,
2003
Star Review
The blind wanderer, skilled swordsman, masseur and incorrigible dice gambler Zatoichi was one of Japan’s most popular cultural heroes of the 1960s and 1970s. Set in the mid-19th century, the pulpy, highly successful series of films featuring the eponymous hero made a star out of actor Shintaro Katsu.
Breathing new life into the much-loved character, ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano’s Zatoichi (2003) is effortlessly stylish – a heady, unlikely brew of violence, knockabout humour and musical effervescence. As a director, Kitano has always been weary of the constrictions of genre filmmaking and with this latest film, continues to gleefully toy with the established aesthetics of individual genres.
The seemingly conventional narrative –Zatoichi (Kitano) drifts into a small town and joins up with a brother and sister out to avenge the murder of their parents – belies the strikingly original and expressive use of mise en scène. Shot by Katsumi Yanagijima primarily in shades of grey (reflecting perhaps Zatoichi’s impaired vision) the use of rich or bright colour assumes heightened importance - the deep red of a kimono, Zatoichi’s own bleach blond hair, or indeed the dazzling primary colours of the film’s tap-dancing finale. Keiichi Suzuki’s score is also crucial to the film’s structure. Whole sequences unfold to a clearly defined rhythm imposed by diegetic music and sounds. The film’s invigorating musicality culminates in the aforementioned routine, a finale which is in no way incongruous in the context of the film as a whole.
As might be expected, the several action set-pieces are beautifully crafted. In one sequence the camera glides behind a group of swordsmen assembled in lashing rain around the glowering hero. Zatoichi’s balletic swordplay cuts them down one by one and the camera then pulls away to capture the full extent of the rain-soaked, blood-spattered carnage.
With Zatoichi, Kitano’s first period film, the director not only reactivates one of Japan’s most loved celluloid icons but - through the film’s refreshing aesthetic palette - continues his own development as a filmmaker, certainly one of contemporary cinema’s most important, vital talents.
Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano, best known for his 1997 film 'Hana-Bi', revives the Japanese fictional action anti-hero Zatoichi in this violent and bloody swashbuckling samurai adventure. Zatoichi (played by Takeshi himself) may be blind but he is also an incredibly gifted and precise swordsman. When the ruthless Ginzo gang, with the help of the legendary Hattori, mercilessly take over a remote mountain town, Zatoichi and his friend Shinkichi must do everything in their considerable powers to stop them.
Injecting the hero with his own inimitable flavour, Takeshi delivers a martial arts epic filled with distinctive good humour, fabulous music and a showstopping tap-dancing finale.
It goes without saying that when the unique vision of Kitano (director and star of some of the most sardonically funny – and violent – Yakuza movies) is applied to the... more >
It goes without saying that when the unique vision of Kitano (director and star of some of the most sardonically funny – and violent – Yakuza movies) is applied to the classic Blind Swordsman series, the result will be something special – and this is precisely the case in this diverting entry. < less
Retaining the trademark screen violence of Brother and Sonatine, Takeshi Kitano’s pyrotechnic take on the Japanese folk hero Zatoichi – the blind masseur samurai who b... more >
Retaining the trademark screen violence of Brother and Sonatine, Takeshi Kitano’s pyrotechnic take on the Japanese folk hero Zatoichi – the blind masseur samurai who boldly dispatches justice with a slash of his blade – is an exhilarating ride that rattles along with buckets of digital blood.
Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano) enters a remote mountain village under the thumb of local warlords the Ginzo gang, who are protected by Ronin (a rogue samurai for hire) Hatori (Tadanobu Asano). Whilst in the village, Zatoichi befriends a local gambler and his family who he takes under his wing, plus two strange geishas who are out to revenge the deaths of their families at the hands of the Ginzo gang. With a central premise of a revenge and redemption, Kitano is in playful mood with many surreal and funny touches including a series of smartly observed scenes inside the local gambling den and with a lunatic next door neighbour. Lush and beautifully framed throughout, the rain swept village is perfect territory for Zatoichi's antics.
Keiichi Suzuki’s beautiful score – a mish-mash of traditional Japanese strings and modern synthesizers – is a significant addition to the movie’s impact and complements the visuals perfectly, especially during a number of scenes where farmers working in the fields have their movements matched in syncopation with the chops of the soundtrack.
After the final showdown between two master samurai, the movie descends into a riotous climax, where the entire cast climb on stage and tap-dance to an implausible but joyous finale that leaves you feeling like you have just wandered out of the circus.
With every release, Kitano seals his reputation as one of the most talented and single minded auteurs in world cinema. More fun than Tarantino’s self-conscious Kill Bill, Zatoichi is the real deal – violent, stylish, hip and funny – and arguably Takeshi Kitano's career high-spot to date and certainly one of the essential films of 2004 < less
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Zatoichi (Kitano, 2003) 
