‘Beat’ Takeshi’s (Violent Cop, Battle Royale) reinvention of the popular 60s samurai b-movie character for the 21st century, the blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman…
Quentin Tarentino isn’t the only person who’s been looking to old samurai b-movies for inspiration, ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano has brought the Zatoichi series radically up-to-date in his own particular style.
Zatoichi began life as a minor character from a novel by Kan Shimozawa, before director Kenji Misumi brought him to life in 1962 (as he would later do with Lone Wolf and Cub). This quirky blind masseur, who had a penchant for gambling drew much on the Akria Kurosawa character Yojimbo for inspiration. A mysterious character that’s motives we never really clear, but whose talent with a sword is truly astonishing. Zatoichi led the way not only in bringing these spectacular abilities to the screen, but also with the bloodthirsty gusto in which it did it. Inspiring not only samurai films in Japan, but swordsman films further a field in Hong Kong and China, particularly innovative directors like King Hu (Come Drink With Me, A Touch of Zen) and Zhang Che – who took the ‘disability’ sub-genre to new incredulous heights with The One-Armed Swordsman.
This massively popular character, as played by Shintaro Katsu, ran well into the seventies, chalking up over 20 films along the way before finally running out of steam. Their enduring popularity was such that Shintaro even returned to the role for one last, big budget swan song in 1989, ironically the same year one of the earlier films (Zatoichi tekka tabi, 1967) was reworked in the USA as Blind Fury starring Rutger Hauer.
After the lukewarm reception both Brother and Dolls received – the former for being a western co-production that pandered a little too far towards a western audience, the latter for taking itself a little too seriously – Zatoichi was a curious next move. Particular as old samurai movies were major target for Kitano in his days as a stand up comedian. Yet he brings a charming and refreshing irreverence to the character, reinterpreting Zatoichi in his own way. Beyond the bounds that he is blind, a masseur and one hell of a swordsman, Kitano has a completely free rein.
Zatoichi visits a remote village held in the grip of the merciless Ginzo gang, befriending a peasant Aunt Oume (Michiyo Ogusu, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Land of Demons, Zatoichi umi o wataru, Kao) and her gambling nephew Shinkichi (Guadalcanal Taka). The village attracts all sorts of lost souls to it, each with there own motives. Hattori (Tadanobu Asano, Ichi the Killer, Dead End Run), the samurai ronin and his fatally ill wife, who quickly becomes employed by the Ginzo. The stunning beautiful geisha girls, Okinu (Yuko Daike, Dolls, Ju-on, Kikujiro) and Osei (Daigoro Tachibana), hell bent on avenging their parents murder. And then there’s legendary Zatoichi himself, just why did he come to this town? One thing is for certain, once the Ginzo gang learn of his presence in the village you know the outcome is going to be pretty messy. Has even the master swordsman pulled off more than he can chew?
To the much-filmed Edo period Japan, Kitano brings a truly fresh eye in bringing it to the screen. Though he’s lost none of his unmistable touch for violence – which he wastes no time showing us in the opening scene – you might enjoy Zatoichi as much for it’s dazzling dance sequences – the geisha dance and particularly the tap dancing finale (I kid you not!) Even throughout the film, labourers in the fields begin to tap the soundtracks rhythm as they dig or build.
It’s stunningly filmed, and even the violence takes on a strange kind of beauty – for instance in one of the striking ways CGI is used throughout the movie blood streams out like ribbons. Cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima has often collaborated with Kitano, their work together including Sonatine, Brother, Dolls and the stylish violent epic Battle Royale, directed by Kinji Fukusaku.
With echoes of Zhang Yimou’s 21st century take on the swordsman epic Hero, Kitano – in his first ever period film – has breathed new life into the genre and had a lot of fun doing so. You can tell.
This is up there with Battle Royale.
DVD details
Distributor: Panorama (Hong Kong)
Great transfer including a DTS Japanese soundtrack and good subtitles. Second disc has plenty of featurettes but in Japanese with Chinese subtitles!
NOTE: Dispite the Region 3 label on the back, this is an All-Region DVD.
