Our final offering from the collection is Takeshi Kitano’s 2003 revival of the classic samurai series, Zatoichi. The character was previously brought to life on the big screen in 1962, with Shintaro Katsu playing the title role in what would become one of his most iconic roles, playing him in every movie in the series, a total of 26 movies.
On his travels Zatoichi (who is a blind swordsman) comes to the defence of townspeople caught up in a local yakuza gang war and are being forced to pay excessive amounts of protection money. Meanwhile, Zatoichi befriends a local farmer and her gambler nephew and eventually offers his assistance to two geisha siblings (one of whom is actually a man) who are seeking revenge for the murder of their parents. The siblings are the only survivors of a robbery and massacre that was carried out on their family estate a decade ago. They soon discover the people responsible for the murders are the same yakuza wreaking havoc on the small town.
After slicing his way through an army of henchmen with his sword, Zatoichi defeats the yakuza’s bodyguard, a powerful rōnin, in a duel. Zatoichi later wanders into town and confronts the yakuza bosses, killing the second-in-command and blinding the elderly yakuza boss (who had been masquerading as a bumbling waiter up till now) after surprising him by opening his eyes. What follows is something unusual and unexpected, so I’ll leave that to you to find out.
Takeshi Kitano not only directs, but plays Zatoichi, bringing his usual charm, violent action and humour to the role. It is a tribute to the originals, done with taste and not looking to change the legacy of one of Japanese films most iconic characters. Being it was made in more modern times (the last Zatoichi film being released in 1989 after a 16 year hiatus) the effects and fighting are done superbly and keep you entertained as he goes about his quest to bring justice to those suffering.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little delve into the bowels of the collection. What comes next, we shall see, maybe a different countdown of sorts or some other musings. Until then, keep giving your love to the world of cinema…
Dan Dared 