Novelist Kan Shimozawa’s famous blind swordsman Zatoichi, recently brought to the screen by Beat Takeshi, gets a feminine makeover courtesy Fumihiko Sori, director of Ping Pong and the Anime Vexille…

Ichi, played by Haruka Ayase (Cyborg She, Hero – ahem, not that one!) is a ‘goze’ – a blind musician – travelling the countryside in search of her father. Constantly having to deal with those who’s take advantage of her disability, there’s one thing they should beware of – Ichi also happens to be a master swordsman (should that be swordswoman, or is that non-PC?). A fact made clear when fellow traveller Toma (Takao Osawa, All About Lily Chou-Chou, Midnight Eagle, Goemon, Sky High) tries to protect her from bandits, only to find he needs her protection.

The pair soon find themselves entangled in a battle for a village between the ruling family and a vicious gang of bandits led by Banki (Shido Nakamura, Red Cliff, Letters From Iwo Jima), who intimates he may know the location of Ichi’s father (who also happens to be a master swordsman). Toma gains the acclaim of Ichi’s work, but soon becomes besotted with her.

Not unlike the situation in Kurosawa’s Yojimbo or Leone’s adaption A Fistful Of Dollars, if you will, (except without the swordsman’s manipulation of the two parties) it’s clear that Ichi’s prowess could turn the tide – if only they’ll believe she’s really capable…

For a director well known for his CGI sequences, such as those that made the fantastical Ping Pong sequences so exciting (I mean, that is NOT easy!), and even more for getting involved in Anime, producing Appleseed and directing Vexille, Ichi is surprising low key in it’s use of computer effects. (That’s not to say they’re not there, but are deliberately underplayed.) In fact, if anything the whole film feels somewhat old fashioned – it’s definitely not revolutionary in the way that Beat Takeshi’s take Zatoichi was – and that’s by no means a criticism.

In many senses that seems almost deliberate. The films fight choreographer Hiroshi Kuze, is the second-generation master of Kuzeshichiyoukai, a sword-fighting school founded by Ryu Kuze, the choreographer of Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai. Hiroshi took over the school in the 80s, working with Kurosawa himself on Ran and Madadayo. He also worked with Yoji Yamada on Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade.

If Sori’s intent is to dispel the myths of exaggerated swordplay – the wire-fu and self-conscious ridiculousness of films like Hero (that one!) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – then like Hirokazu Kore-eda’s underrated Hana (aka Hanayori mo Naho), it oddly actually puts him on the same page as Kurosawa, who no doubt was reacting to the martial art novels of the day and the classic Chinese stories that inspired them. Kurosawa’s heroes were often hardly the bold, invincible warriors they built themselves up to be – take the main protagonist in Rashômon, for instance.

Which seems a bit odd considering the directors previous work, and that the producer Toshiaki Nakazawa was inspired to recast Zatoichi with a female lead due to the success of Kill Bill. In fact, the film is combination of both the Zatoichi franchise, and a lesser-known blind swordswoman character from a rival 60s studio, ‘Blind O-Ichi’ from the Crimson Bat series1. Known only as Ichi, Sori’s film playfully mixes the two franchises into one, with hints that Ichi’s father may well be the original Zatoichi (or was that just my take?).

Sori seems to have a deft touch for getting the best out of his actors, and allowing them the room to make the characters their own. The performances of the leads Haruka and Takao are great – particularly Takao, who makes the faintly ridiculous situation of a samurai who can’t actually unsheathe his sword due to a childhood accident (almost) believable. The unlikely burgeoning romance between the pair is touchingly and credibly played out, meaning you far more readily buy into any upcoming tragedy. (That’s not giving too much away, is it?)

It’s helps there’s a strong ensemble cast at Sori’s disposal, with wonderfully hammy performances by Shido Nakamura (who gave such solid support as Gan Xing in Red Cliff) and Riki Takeuchi as Izo (best known for his turns in Takeshi Miike’s Dead Or Alive series and Yo-Yo Girl Cop) cast as the bad guys. (One could even argue that’s exactly how they might have been, as perceptions of their power would have been made by such public displays of bravado.)

What ultimately let’s Ichi down is simply a protracted conclusion that stops and starts, rather than builds momentum. The film is simply too long for it’s own good – which is a shame for what is otherwise superbly entertaining movie.

Ichi can be seen as part of the ICA’s Cult Japan season in London from today, and in selected cinemas around the UK from Friday, 10 July. A UK DVD release will follow later in the year.

1 Reference Ichi: Justice Is Blind by Jonathan Clements

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This entry was published by Andy H on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 10:30 am and is filed under Action / Thrillers, Films, Japan, Martial arts, Reviews, Wuxia / Swordplay. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Comment to “Ichi”

  1. [...] for his live action films, Ping Pong and the affable take on the blind swordsman Zatoichi series Ichi, but he’s also been able to successfully switch between them and CG animated features, following [...]

    TO – 2001 Nights UK Blu-Ray DVD review | easternkicks.com September 26th, 2011 at 10:08 am

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