Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman (2003) [Blu-ray]
Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Music
Tagline: His Sword Made Him a Hero... His Courage Made Him a Legend. This Summer, Justice is Blind.
Inventive and bold, this film shines with pristine picture and theater-quality sound on Blu-ray Disc. In an empire ruled by fear, the people's only hope is the ultimate weapon: Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano) - a blind, nomadic samurai whose sword has made him
a hero and whose courage has made him a legend. Determined to help the desperate residents of a village, Zatoichi seeks justice through revenge. It's a wildly entertaining film that's even more brilliant in Blu-ray High Definition.
Storyline: Blind Zatoichi makes his living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi wanders
into a town run by sinister gangs and a powerful samurai. He's destined for violent showdowns when he stumbles on two beautiful geishas avenging their parents' murder... Duels, wit and a touch of zen! Cult anti-hero Zatoichi is back in a sword-fighting
adventure written, directed and starring Takeshi Kitano. Written by intlpress@aol.com
Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, September 13, 2009 -- Some may favor the complex, breathtaking fights of modern martial arts masterpieces; some may enjoy watching skilled swordsmen whirl about in a fifteen minute
dance of death to determine who deserves to limp away in one piece; some may prefer to witness grueling battles, rife with tension, that result in the climactic felling of a foe who makes a single, critical mistake. For anyone else, there are films like
director Beat Kitano's Zatoichi, an at-times stunning oddity that revels in exhilarating one-strike kills, unforgettable split-second duels, and sudden and shocking fountains of blood that herald the arrival of the acclaimed blind swordmaster
himself. Unfortunately, Kitano also grants his supporting cast far too much screentime, weaves too many bizarre eccentricities into an otherwise promising tale, and proudly wears his love of kabuki theatre all too prominently on his heavy sleeves.
Based on an iconic Japanese character featured in more than two-dozen films and a successful 100-episode television series, Zatoichi follows the exploits of its namesake, a blind swordsman (played by Kitano himself) who comes to the rescue of
several small town residents struggling to survive a deadly gang war. In spite of his obvious disability, Zatoichi is a fierce fighter; one who isn't intimidated by the thugs and criminals threatening his new friends. However, the conflict has forced the
gangs' leaders into hiding, leaving Zatoichi with little choice but to root them out before he can exact justice. As an added perk, uncovering their identities requires him to engage in one of his favorite pastimes: gambling. Standing in his way is an
equally capable (and unexpectedly sympathetic) ronin named Hattori Genosuke (Tadanobu Asano), one of the few warriors the blind swordsman has encountered who can block his strikes. As Zatoichi hones in on those responsible for the turmoil, he leaves a
trail of blood and wailing widows in his wake, determined to restore peace to a region besieged by corruption and villainy.
Kitano gets more right in his reimagining of Zatoichi than he gets wrong. His blind swordsman is as indelible a character as always (despite his newly bleached locks and crimson-handled cane) and benefits from the director's undeniably magnetic
on-screen presence. While the film's fights can hardly be called fights (seeing as how quickly and efficiently opponents are dispatched), they're nevertheless a joy to watch. Fifteen-minute clashes may be impressive, but seeing a lone man make short work
of a crowd of criminals is just as exciting. Kitano fuses his Zatoichi with enough raw skill and quiet confidence that it's hard to imagine anyone other than the director pulling it off with such wit and style. It helps that the central villain of the
film -- Genosuke -- isn't a villain at all. Taking whatever work he can to pay for his sick wife's medical treatment, the ronin is as interesting, if not more so, than Kitano's title character. Both men have a sense of honor, both men wield their sword to
save someone less fortunate, and both men understand, all too well, the nature of their conflict and the consequences of their actions. More importantly, the townsfolk Zatoichi fights for are as endearing as they are enigmatic. Each one is blessed with
genuine heart and soul, transcending their one-note roots and emerging as fully fledged human beings as the drama unfolds. They're a ragtag bunch of oddballs to be sure (some are little more than comic relief), but I felt compassion and empathy for most
all of them and understood Zatoichi's willingness to lend a helping sword.
That being said, the supporting characters are given too much attention. As much as I respect Kitano's decision to explore their origins and motivations, my interests lay with Zatoichi, not whichever bumbling innocent or stalwart warrior graced the
director's imagination. With such focus devoted to subplot after subplot, side story after side story, the film's draws -- the blind swordsman and his masterless rival -- often get lost in the mix. Moreover, the townies who sometimes take center stage are
strange. Too strange. I love quirks, I do, but only when they serve the essence of the character, not when they've been forcibly inserted solely to add humor or discomfort to a situation. The same goes for an extended, disconnected musical number that,
quite frankly, goes on for far too long. I adore genre-bending surprises -- Takashi Miike's The Happiness of the Katakuris is a personal favorite that does just such a thing at least thirty-two times -- but only when each surprise enhances
everything that's come before it. Kitano's dance sequence is jarring, distracting and, considering it comes after a particularly vicious series of deaths and maimings, a tonal disruption. As a climax, it's deflating; as a fitting denouement, it's
fleeting; as a pointed technique, it lacks definition, substance, and purpose.
Zatoichi will either strike you as brilliant or uneven; as utterly unique or a hodgepodge of several sword-slinging genre pics. I can certainly see the appeal -- I found myself sinking into the blind swordsman's world on more than one occasion --
but I was reminded I was watching a movie, a flawed one at that, far too often to label it the astonishing insta-classic others have declared it to be. Perhaps I lack the proper understanding, perhaps the film's oddities have meaning I couldn't fully
comprehend, but it doesn't change the fact that my enthusiasm for Kitano's vision rose and fell quite drastically over the course of its 116-minute runtime. Suffice to say, I would suggest renting this one before taking any further leaps.
Alas, I enjoyed watching Zatoichi's behind-the-scenes documentary a bit more than the film itself. A promising production, Kitano's game-changing revision is brimming with potential, but sadly fails to cash in on its most compelling asset: the
blind swordsman at the heart of Kitano's scattershot tale. The Blu-ray edition is problematic as well, cursing the film with an unfaithful video transfer, a lossy Japanese language track, and an all-too-short collection of special features that, as good
as they are, only last an hour. No one -- fans, newcomers, or the curious among you -- will walk away from this one without complaining about something. Hardly the reaction the release of an award-winning film should inspire.
[CSW] -4.2- This reviewer expressed my sentiments:
Over the years I've run hot and cold to the work of Takeshi Kitano (also known as "Beat" Takeshi), but with THE BLIND SWORDSMAN: ZATOICHI, this guy has won me over completely. Combining three stories and three sets of characters plus a lot of
townsfolk into one coherent whole, the director (who also stars in the title role) brings everything from fast-paced, bloody samurai action to elegant composition and irony, humor and near-musical moments that defy description. This movie surprises you
again and again. It works as simple story (what's gonna happen next?!) as well as a kind of homage to the Zatoichi character (who is evidently a staple of Japanese film and culture), and finally as an all-out musical. The concluding number combines the
rhythms of rap, Riverdance, Savion Glover, Stomp and more into a hugely pleasurable finale. Because I've never seen other Zatoichi movies (maybe they ARE better than this, as one member points out), I can only judge by my enormous enjoyment of Takeshi's
attempt. I hope he does not make a sequel: He's already managed to include here everything anyone could wish for (yes, there's a transvestite geisha).
[V3.0-3.0A] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.
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