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Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
By admin | October 15, 2008
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi), Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Okusu; Japanese with English subtitle;
A placid countryside in Japan. A blind, blonde man sits on the roadside to rest his aching limbs. A few rogues appear and entice a child to steal his shiny, red cane. The child does the job but gets slap instead of the promised coins. In a flash, the blind man leap up, a snatches back his sword (disguised under the very shiny cane all this while) and slashes all the rogues to very bloody ands. If you liked what Quentin tarantino did in the gory Kill Bill series, you’ll now know where his inspiration came from! A high-budget film production of the immensely popular Zatoichi TV action series of sparring Samurais and the local Yakuza gang wars, this flick adds more finesse to swordfights, more gore to blood (Which incidentally is computer generated) and more panache to the reticent, grimacing, muttering oddball of an actor Takeshi Kitano (aka Beat Takeshi). This pop-cultural icon of Japan has scripted, directed, acted in and edited the film as well! Zatoichi is aided by a pair of sibling geishas (including a cross-dresser!) trying to avenge their parents murder. He has to vanquish the powerful Hattori (Tadanobu), the bodyguard of the gang chief, to reclaim peace and fairplay in the village. Look out for the gang chief, to reclaim peace and fairplay in the village. Look out for the stylistic ending-quite unlike the gory tempo of the gory tempo of the entire movie.
HOT Tip: Won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Fest and the People’s Choice award at the Toronto Film Fest, both in 2003.
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