Linkshoch Wonderful Movie

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Yvonne Jodi Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki Currently sitting at a perfect 100 percent score on rotten tomatoes, this is a film noir martial arts film, about the Japanese blind swordsman known as Zatoichi. He cannot see, but has heightened senses of hearing and touch, which allows him to (reluctantly) kick massive amounts of ass. I say reluctantly because he would rather earn his way by fleecing criminals, and by working as a masseur, he resorts to violent swordplay only when necessary, as the last resort.The film moves at a slower pace than one might expect in a martial arts film, but that only serves to add depth to the character, and build mood and atmosphere. Beautiful looking black and white photography, some indoor and nighttime scenes shot in high contrast, and with some interesting composure and composition, as thin branches frame its climactic fight, filmed with completely stationary cameras, and without much editing.

michaelgallegos8 From 1962 until 1989, 26 film series and a 100 Japanese television series, some in black and white, were produced.Similar themes run through the stories yet each seems refreshingly dramatized. The later movies began to use special effects (blood) rather more seriously during sword fights - something I personally think was unauthentic and therefore, unconvincing. But, I still love the stories of the fictional character, Zatoichi.Subtitles for us who do not understand Japanese is helpful but sometimes simplistic, and often get in the way of appreciating visual story nuance and acting. The solution I could not avoid is to watch the films as often as needed to later watch with minimal or no subtitle help. This is recommended.So, simplistic subtitles is a good thing because as you watch again, virtually ignoring the easy English, your mind easily sophisticates nuance, subtext, very subtle humor, and your eye can take in the vistas of the Japanese island, the modes of dress, and the differences between classes of people which are story-driving themes.The culture of the era is easily understood because, for example, women walk like 21st century women models walk: toe first and then foot in front of next foot. However, the action is observed in a way that causes one to think it a cultural standard of the Edo era and not of this century.Every detail is authentic including the desired sharpness and blink-of-eye swiftness of sword blade that cuts so clean and fast, there is no blood residue on the blade. So when you see a scene and think, "Aw; there's no blood on the blade," with some exceptions, that's how sharp an Edo era swordsman kept the blade – life and death depended on its reliable swift surprise. And so, that is why the use of special effects blood is not authentic. The only exception known to me is when battles lasted for hours because the blade against flesh and bone would dull allowing blood and residue to adhere, somewhat, to the blade. Sharpness of blade was as culturally significant as the mode of a woman's walk.Returning to benefits of repetition, I've discovered there seem to always be, as part of the story's spine, small but integral roles for children, animals, and music which reveal characters' character, mores, and preferences. Subtle themes transition viewers to subtle/not so subtle humor and events that rally reasons why swordsmen attack Zatoichi.Zatoichi is a lone Hero living during the Japanese Edo period of 1630 until 1868. Am surmising Zatoichi roamed Japan during the 1820s, 30s, or 40s. This is based on historical accuracies of the films' well-established inns and places to eat along well-marked roads walked by many of the characters behind which is set beautiful Japanese landscapes.The roadways were vital for communication, to farmers, and others getting goods to markets; roadway paths provided the same purpose as America's Interstate System. The Japanese system included wooden directional sign posts firmly positioned into the ground. Though some directions and names were painted, important city and village directions were carved into the wooden posts.During the Edo period, politics and peasants were at extreme opposing ends of the spectrums of power and money which always flowed to political coffers by way of taxation, over-taxation, graft, theft, gambling, and debauchery.The vacuum in the middle created "middle men" who became nationally known as Yakusa: organized criminals who skimmed people's wages, taxes, anything, and took advantage of those who could not defend against their Samurai skills.Once honorable, but now without a master, they were in need of employment, shelter, and food. Political stability caused changes such that, Samurai, instrumental in stabilizing Japan, were now not needed.Most were laid off and were known as Ronin. Many became unsavory types who joined or formed a Yakusa. Many held long, lingering anger because of losing the high social status of Samurai.They were no longer able to live as Samurai or honorable men. Having lost honorable employment, shelter, food, and the brotherhood of honor, they felt unfairly treated and took resent on people unable to resist. At least now, money was available, they were able to eat and sleep somewhere, and serve a Yakusa Boss.They angrily and unhappily survived the loss of social stature. They began to survive eating their insides out with hatred and jealousy toward anyone better than they, or anyone whom they perceived as acting or even thinking were better than they. Why they did this: they only knew weaponry, martial arts, and war fighting. Their knowledge was more an instinct to survive than it was a will to live. They knew nothing of kindness except through their small window of the Samurai Code which they hypocritically enforced on people who lived as farmers. Once many were honorable Samurai, then Ronin, and now, thugs.Enter Zatoichi, living amongst the anguish of people in the middle who, lose their lively hoods, lives, happiness, and hopes to antagonistic, evil men.Zatoichi is blind. An exquisite swordsman. Honorable. Gambler. Traveling masseuse. Regrets his necessary Yakusa relationships but finds hospitality from a few Yakusa Bosses who are also honorable.He dreams of a peaceful existence, means no harm to anyone, is not mean spirited, is often set upon by rivals who seek his death. He is brought into people lives because of his compassion to help people in need of relief from oppression. He's a sucker for doing the right thing, kids, some animals make him uncertain and he likes to sing and play the shamisen, a musical instrument of 3 stings played with a large plectrum.And the sword fights! All I can say is, don't mess Zatoichi !! Enjoy these films. I don't know anywhere else to see the TV series except on YouTube; all seem excellent tales. Many are black & white; all I've seen are subtitled.

kurosawakira One thing about the masterless, lonely samurai figures is all about placing a godlike figure, mysterious and, I would say, largely unsurprisingly surprising in the context of the film. They are nigh-invincible, often slandered, yes, but the dramatic force of the film comes from our samurai hero (or antihero, whichever label you want to attach to whichever character) being in an underdog position we know to be false. The other characters should know better nut they don't, and we get immense gratification in the moment when the samurai reveals his true strength.I started watching the Zatoichi films at a time I had just rediscovered Kurosawa's contemporary smash hits, the utterly gorgeous, ambitious, amazing "Yojimbo" (1961) and "Sanjuro" (1962), its so-called sequel (more like a parallel film in my mind) that was actually released the same year as the first Zatoichi film. So, for me, I think these films will always be embedded not only next to each other but they also overlap, and I don't think it's a bad thing, since not only are the Kurosawa films absolutely brilliant, but so is this. I mean what a hoot! Ninety minutes full of great filmmaking, not only concerning the action sequences and fights but much more to do with the buildup and the anticipation that leads to the action. And while I have heard some criticism about this lack of immediate action in the film I believe it is a wonderful way to introduce the character to us, indeed as a blind masseur. This "procrastination" to show Zatoichi in his full force in turn forces us to take all the information we can get of his skill second-hand instead of seeing for ourselves. We are thus forced to rely on the reports of a rather greedy and unsympathetic person. This goes on for a long time and it's wonderfully executed. It makes Ichi's character function a lot better. Similarly we have Mifune's character in "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro" who was very much disconnected from the political and social problems that needed to be resolved. He's most certainly an outsider, in so many ways such a godlike figure that it's necessary to allow us to doubt him for a while, and he's really fleshed out as a character during the first hour, during which he has definitely won us over, barely unsheathing his sword.When the action comes, it's blindingly fast, furious but not brutely so, much more akin to a dance. Just the way I think it should be. The 360-degree shot in the midst of battle is fabulous.I don't think there could be a more promising start to a film series as this.

chris miller may be some spoilers... one year after yojimbo was released, comes the first installment of zatoichi, the film series. i'm pretty sure this started as a television series in japan, and became hugely popular at some point...i can see why. this story is fairly similar to yojimbo - a wandering stranger (zatoichi, the blind samurai) who works for one of two warring gangs. there are other, smaller similarities that i won't bother to list. since it's so easy to compare the two films (especially given the relative paucity of Japanese samurai films i [and most] have seen) i'll first talk about the relative shortcomings of zatoichi. the score is good, but yojimbo's score is great. the direction in zatoichi is pretty good, whereas kurosawa's direction in yojimbo is almost unparalleled. the cinematography in both films is strong. the acting in yojimbo is amazing - from the smallest role all the way up to the title character, whereas zatoichi has solid acting, but nothing spectacular. in other words, yojimbo is a better film in just about every conceivable way. that said, zatoichi is a great film. its opening sequence serves as a great hook storywise and characterwise. i suppose that by now most Japanese filmgoers would have had some interaction with zatoichi through the TV series, but the filmmakers wisely dedicated some time to getting to know the title character. i think the strongest aspect of this film was the relationship that was built between zatoichi and his adversary. they have a great deal of respect and admiration for each other, at one point zatoichi even gives his adversary a massage while they discuss swordsmanship. a common theme in asian cinema is the "herofication" of traditionally weak individuals - women, blind people, one-armed people, etc. zatoichi, the blind swordsman, is another in this tradition. i'll just say that it's a good film and you should give it a try if you liked yojimbo or sanjuro. B+.