The Tale of Zatoichi
2/4
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Eijiro Yanagi, Shigeru Amachi, Masayo Banri, Michiro Minami
Not Rated (probable R for Violence and a Rape Scene)
It would be unfair to criticize a film made in 1962 for not having the visual sophistication or special effects of a movie made today. And while the film has not aged well in that department, it has other areas in which it is lacking. Strangely, it didn't stop the film from generating a series of films that, thus far, not even James Bond has equaled.
Between 1962 and 1973, Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman was featured in twenty-five films, all of which starred Shintaro Katsu in the title role. A twenty-sixth film was produced in 1989 (also starring Katsu). In 2003, Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano made a new installment with himself as Zatoichi (Katsu died in 1997). The character certainly has a long history, and like James Bond, he isn't the most well-developed character (at least thus far), but he's intriguing enough to build a film around.
Zatoichi (Katsu) is a blind man who wanders from town to town, eking out a living as a masseur and cheating gullible gamblers. But he has something else up his sleeve: he's a master swordsman. At one point he drops a candle and, before it hits the ground, he draws his sword, slices it in half long ways, and sheathes it. For Sukegoro (Yanagi), his luck couldn't be better. He's battling for control of the area with another local yakuza named Shigezo (Ryuzo Shimada) and thinks Ichi has what it takes to defeat his rival. But Shigezo has his own famous swordsman on his side: Hirate (Amachi).
The idea is thin, but for a 90 minute swashbuckler, it's fine. The problem is that director Kenji Misumi seems more interested in getting as many people screen time as he can. In addition to Ichi and Harate, we have the foolish crime lords, plus the tribulations of Tate (Minami) and his sister Tane (Banri). Sukegoro and Shigezo are buffoons, and are treated as such. But the scenes where Tane confronts her brother about an indiscretion that led to a pregnancy and his attempts to get her back with her ex are dead in the water. They're boring and do nothing but pad out the running time. Not to mention this "subplot" features a completely unnecessary rape scene. Only in the final act does the film's plot kick into high gear.
It's a shame too, because Ichi and Harate are compelling. I mean, lead characters not named James Bond don't get much cooler than a guy who can separate his opponents from their money and still be a master swordsman. All without sight. And Harate is an alcoholic dying of tuberculosis but has a great deal of integrity. The scenes with the two of them are the best the film has to offer. Watching them, I was reminded of the relationship between Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in "Heat."
Sadly, the final action scene doesn't impress. I'm not expecting "Lord of the Rings," here. But even by the standards of the day, they look fake. Bad choreography and acting hamper them, and the lackluster direction does not help. The final fight does have some tension, but not enough.
So the movie doesn't work. And yet, I'm still curious as to where they take the character in his next adventures. Curious, but not chomping at the bit to find out.
Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Eijiro Yanagi, Shigeru Amachi, Masayo Banri, Michiro Minami
Not Rated (probable R for Violence and a Rape Scene)
It would be unfair to criticize a film made in 1962 for not having the visual sophistication or special effects of a movie made today. And while the film has not aged well in that department, it has other areas in which it is lacking. Strangely, it didn't stop the film from generating a series of films that, thus far, not even James Bond has equaled.
Between 1962 and 1973, Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman was featured in twenty-five films, all of which starred Shintaro Katsu in the title role. A twenty-sixth film was produced in 1989 (also starring Katsu). In 2003, Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano made a new installment with himself as Zatoichi (Katsu died in 1997). The character certainly has a long history, and like James Bond, he isn't the most well-developed character (at least thus far), but he's intriguing enough to build a film around.
Zatoichi (Katsu) is a blind man who wanders from town to town, eking out a living as a masseur and cheating gullible gamblers. But he has something else up his sleeve: he's a master swordsman. At one point he drops a candle and, before it hits the ground, he draws his sword, slices it in half long ways, and sheathes it. For Sukegoro (Yanagi), his luck couldn't be better. He's battling for control of the area with another local yakuza named Shigezo (Ryuzo Shimada) and thinks Ichi has what it takes to defeat his rival. But Shigezo has his own famous swordsman on his side: Hirate (Amachi).
The idea is thin, but for a 90 minute swashbuckler, it's fine. The problem is that director Kenji Misumi seems more interested in getting as many people screen time as he can. In addition to Ichi and Harate, we have the foolish crime lords, plus the tribulations of Tate (Minami) and his sister Tane (Banri). Sukegoro and Shigezo are buffoons, and are treated as such. But the scenes where Tane confronts her brother about an indiscretion that led to a pregnancy and his attempts to get her back with her ex are dead in the water. They're boring and do nothing but pad out the running time. Not to mention this "subplot" features a completely unnecessary rape scene. Only in the final act does the film's plot kick into high gear.
It's a shame too, because Ichi and Harate are compelling. I mean, lead characters not named James Bond don't get much cooler than a guy who can separate his opponents from their money and still be a master swordsman. All without sight. And Harate is an alcoholic dying of tuberculosis but has a great deal of integrity. The scenes with the two of them are the best the film has to offer. Watching them, I was reminded of the relationship between Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in "Heat."
Sadly, the final action scene doesn't impress. I'm not expecting "Lord of the Rings," here. But even by the standards of the day, they look fake. Bad choreography and acting hamper them, and the lackluster direction does not help. The final fight does have some tension, but not enough.
So the movie doesn't work. And yet, I'm still curious as to where they take the character in his next adventures. Curious, but not chomping at the bit to find out.
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