Title: Zatoichi aka The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi
Genre: Drama/Action
Director: Kitano Takeshi
Format: Movie, 116 minutes.
Dates: 6 Sept 2003

Synopsis: The people of a small town are caught up in a local Yakuza gang war and are forced to pay large, daily amounts of protection money. The blind swordsman, Zatoichi, makes his way through the town and befriends a farmer and her nephew, a gambling addict. They also come across and help a pair of geisha siblings whose family was massacred a decade ago.

The Highlights
Action: Striking moments of violence that start and finish in the blink of an eye.
Style: Tells a familiar story with a modern flourish.
Comedy: Surprisingly funny and a good relief from the violence and action.
Characters: Not especially deep but nonetheless engaging.

Kitano “Beat” Takeshi has a reputation of being one of Japan’s greatest modern filmmakers, and also as one of its most idiosyncratic. Kitano brings a unique vision to Zatoichi, which is one of Japan’s longest-running film and TV series.

Style is the driving force of Zatoichi. Its story – a humble but deadly warrior helps the downtrodden defeat their oppressors – is familiar, and despite a few twists, the movie does not present an especially fresh plot. However, the way Kitano tells the story makes it more engaging than it would be in another’s hands. The violence is often brutal, with limbs being chopped off, swords plunged through people’s guts, and deep slashes leaving distinctive marks on victims. Blood splashes around in bold patterns and leaves distinctive images that stay with the viewer long after the movie concludes. One that stuck with me is the classic image of a duel in the rain and the aftermath of the battle, with blood slowly spreading across the ground, propelled every which way by the raindrops.

One aspect that sticks out about the violence is the use of CGI – some of the blood is computer generated, as are the limbs that fly off. It’s usually well integrated, but occasionally it stands out in a noticeable way. This is not bad enough to break the visual story, mind, but it’s a detail that may distract those with sharp eyes.

Constant action does not drive Zatoichi. The movie actually matches the pace of its hero: languid, deliberate, and easygoing until the time comes to strike like a cobra. Kitano allows the village to breathe in between moments of violence. The viewer gets a sense of how life progresses in the village as Zatoichi gambles, visits small restaurants, meets various people who are struck by his presence. More unexpectedly, Kitano peppers the plot with moments of humor that are often silly, but somehow work because the characters are so earnest. There’s one moment with the gambling nephew that is unbelievably goofy but wrings out a hard laugh because of the commitment to the joke. Even more unexpected than the humor is the existence of musical bits and a dance sequence that closes the movie. It’s a surprising way to express the joy of a village freed from the grip of violence, but all the more effective because of it.

None of these aspects of Zatoichi would probably be as entertaining as they are if the characters were not engaging. They are not a particularly deep bunch; they have their motivations, and Zatoichi himself is a great force of nature, but the story is not built for complexity or ambiguity. Regardless, the characters do stand out; it’s easy to care about what happens to them. Wisely, the acting is mainly economical – the various actors match Kitano’s stoic acting style, except of course with their own character touches.

Samurai dramas are like many other genre pictures – there may be no new stories to tell, but there are countless ways to tell them. Kitano opts for a fun, modern spin; the story that unfolds may be deadly serious to the characters, but it’s great fun for the audience.

The Rating: 7

Reviewed by: Shinmaru