Zatoichi
(Kitano, 2003)
The blind swordsman Zatoichi – central character in some 26 films and over a hundred episodes of an eponymous television series – is highly iconic in his native Japan. Almost 15 years after his initial run of popularity came to an end, Zatoichi was reborn in this, an artful period piece by acclaimed director “Beat” Takeshi Kitano.
Loaded with breathtaking imagery, superbly choreographed fight sequences and a heaping dose of the director’s characteristically slapstick humour, Zatoichi is a rare modern treat for fans of samurai films. There are shades of Yojimbo and other Kurosawa classics here, but the style and tone of this film belong steadfastly to Kitano.
The character Zatoichi is played by the director himself, who opted to give the sightless samurai a unique platinum blonde mop and a strikingly blood-red cane sword. He cuts a reticent, if mischievous figure as he wanders into a poor, rural village being fought over by three violent criminal gangs, seemingly interested in nothing more than the local sake and a spot of gambling to pass the time. Soon enough the local balance of power is upset and it falls to Zatoichi and an eclectic, unlikely set of allies to set things right.
Like many of Kitano’s films, Zatoichi consists of extended periods of subtle, clever dialogue and character development that are liberally peppered with cheeky humour and roughly punctuated with sudden and extreme acts of violence that often appear from nowhere.
Words like good and evil do not really belong in a story such as this. The usual rich vs. poor dynamic is present here, but characters working both with and against Zatoichi are driven to violence by their own peculiar backstories, and Zatoichi himself is not averse to dispensing a bloody coup de grâce to a misguided soul that in another lifetime may have called him an ally.
Kitano always seems to be having great fun making films, and one can only imagine the frenetic on-set scene transitions where the director-star was rushing around between centre stage and the director’s chair.
Watching films like this is a joyful experience. It combines moments of quiet beauty with sudden bursts of energetic action, but no matter what is happening you are liable to burst into laughter without warning. With Zatoichi, Kitano has taken an established franchise and given it his own unmistakeable flourish.
tl;dr: A masterfully-woven tapestry of great beauty, tragedy, violence and comedy, Zatoichi is a unique take on the samurai formula that will surprise, fascinate and enchant you. It is impossible not to like Kitano’s blind swordsman, and the story will scoop you up and take you on a wild, wildly entertaining ride.
