The longest running show in japanese film history, boasting of 25 full feature films and 100 t. But they do not reckon on the fathers reaction to their arrival, nor on their own growing. Not every zatoichi film qualifies as great cinema, but even when the series falters a bit, every single one of these films is still well worth your time. The 1989 film blind fury featuring rutger hauer as a blind swordsman in contemporary america is based on zatoichi challenged 1967, the 17th film in the series of 26. Zatoichis flashing sword was the seventh film in the series.
The blind swordsman bluraydvd box set from criterion. Shintaro katsu is just so damn good in the role of zatoichi, a really fantastic character. Zatoichi may avoid stepping in a pile of shit, but still gets pissed in the face in this, the 8th part in the story about zatoichi. The previous film in the series, zatoichis flashing sword was a slight let down, but were back on track with fight, zatoichi, fight. Apparently, director quentin tarantino was interested in directing a remake. Fight, zatoichi, fight, zatoichi kesshootabi kenji misumi 1964.
What follows is a bittersweet journey full of joys and sorrow showing ichi at his most soft and tragic. Ichi is a blind masseuse ambling from town to town until some injustice or threat cause him to reveal his incomparable swordplay and samuraistyled sense of honor. Zatoichi s flashing sword 726 has the best action in my opinion. The original series of 26 films featured shintaro katsu as zatoichi.
Zatoichi 2003, which was released to theaters and dvd in the u. The film is artistically played throughout, and you get the impression that. Shinbei seems to be interested in repaying the villagers debts, but is in reality manipulating the ownership of a nowvaluable. The blind swordsman is shot and nursed back to health by kind strangers.
Refine see titles to watch instantly, titles you havent rated, etc. The film summoned the most sequels of a samurai film. True, the story about a reluctant tough guy caring for a baby had been done a million times before, yet due to the impressive talent of shintaro katsu it acutally manages to become the most moving entries. The blind swordsman movie videos for the full length movie and video clips on mefeedia. It was the 23rd film in the zatoichi film series and the first distributed by toho, while all others were distributed by daiei. From its premise, fight, zatoichi, fight may seem like the most sentimental, if not outright clicheed film in the series. He gains the reluctant help of a young pick pocket and together they travel to find the babys father.
Zatoichi is a criticallyacclaimed recent entry in a decadeslong japanese media franchise, but i regrettably found it to be rather poor, with limp, meandering pacing and fun yet uninteresting. Again and again, he would fight, taking down a platoon of opponents with such lightning speed that the slashes could. When gangsters mistake her for zatoichi and kill her, zatoichi determines to escort the baby to its father. Most of the stories in the television series are original dramas, but some are essentially redacted remakes of the fulllength zatoichi films of the previous decade such as season one, episode 14, fighting journey with baby in tow corresponds to the 8th film fight, zatoichi, fight zatoichi kesshotabi. Usually when a film series starts getting long, most of the films in the series are mediocre at best, particularly in the later shows. Beat takeshi kitano directs and plays the title role in. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy shintaro katsu became an instant superstar, lending a largerthanlife presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who. There is little action in this film, still some, but fight, zatoichi fight is more a film showcasing zatoichis soft side and love of innocent children and enjoyment of peace. Still while being honorable, funny and a ladys man. He also encounters a boyhood friend, shinbei, who now is wealthy and appears not to remember zatoichi. Apr 06, 2020 after kickstarting the whole franchise in 1962s the tale of zatoichi, director kenji misumi wouldnt return to the series until two years later for the eight film and the third of 1964, fight, zatoichi, fight, and in the process ended up creating one of the finest adventures for our blind hero.
First zatoichi is being held prisoner by some yakuza gangsters when he awakes and cuts up some flies with his sword. Movie trailer for takeshi kitanos adaptation of zatoichi this feature is not available right now. Amazon teams with sxsw to stream a onetime online film festival for 10 days. Zatoichis flashing sword 726 has the best action in. The premise, zatoichis journey with an infant in tow, might seem on the corny side, but the storyline works well and this proves to be another solid installment. The third film, in 1963, was the first to be filmed in color. The blind swordsman box set gets our highest recommendation and damn well deserves it. By this time, even though it was still early on in the series, there was a formula that all the movies followed.
Another solid zatoichi film, zatoichi the fugitive once again follow zatoichi as he is pursued and must do the right thing in order to protect and help the helpless and defend himself from those. Blind swordsman zatoichi befriends a young woman returning home with her baby. This film broke the mold when back in the early 60s, most films would never use a real baby in the movies. A list of the 25 original films with shintaro katsu from 1962 to 1973 and the 5 contemporary remakes, including the unaffiliated american film. Zatoichi at large 1972 letterboxd your life in film. Promising her that he will hand over her baby to its father, the blind masseur embarks on an adventure both sentimental and beset by perilous action. It was originally released by the daiei motion picture company later acquired by kadokawa pictures. Fight, zatoichi, fight 1964 letterboxd your life in film.
Nov 24, 20 i was never quite sure what to make of zatoichi and his backhanded sword grip. Zatoichi at large, zatoichi goyotabi is a 1972 japanese film directed by kazuo mori. Mar 28, 2007 movie trailer for takeshi kitanos adaptation of zatoichi this feature is not available right now. Fight, zatoichi, fight is ultimately an excellent entry into the series, possibly the strongest so far.
When gangsters mistake her for ichi and kill her, he determines to escort the baby to its father. Zatoichi at large is an absolute bust, as far as im concerned, in the writing department. Fight, zatoichi, fight 1964 the criterion collection. Zatoichis flashing sword letterboxd your life in film. It has a cast of characters that want to do good but struggle to because of their flaws. Fight zatoichi fight, and zatoichi and the chess expert.
The blind swordsman comes in beautifully designed packaging. Zatoichi, the famed blind swordsman, returns to his home village for the first time in many years. Zatoichi the blind swordsman zatoichi graduates from cinema, after 25 films into t. Ichi is a blind masseuse ambling from town to town until some injustice or threat cause him to reveal his. Its also worth noting that, in between the first 25 films in the criterion box and this final film, 100 episodes of a japanese tv series were produced. I was never quite sure what to make of zatoichi and his backhanded sword grip. Introduced in the early 1960s, zatoichi is now an archetypal character in japanese film, inspiring dozens of films and numerous television shows. An outstanding entry, which in the end emerges as probably the greatest showcase of shintaro katsus acting ability in the entire series. Beat takeshi kitano directs and plays the title role in this tribute to the wildly popular blind swordsman of japanese cinema who was the hero of more than 20 movies and a television series from. But zatoichi in his run of two dozen films stays good to the end.
This series is admittedly formulaic already, but this is. Add to that a successful television series and a current remake by beat takashi, and, obviously, with t zatoichi the blind swordsman, vol. Now indebted to the family, he works to protect their ferry business from local thugs. A tribute to the combat scenes and shintaro katsus deftness and all around awesomeness in the first 5 movies of the zatoichi series.
The colossally popular zatoichi films make up the longestrunning action series in japanese history and created one of the screens great heroes. The movies are on nine discs in a sturdy slipcase along with a small book covering the zatoichi movies. Sep 06, 2003 the fight sequences are definitely the highlight of the movie, and they include some highlights in themselves. Fight, zatoichi, fight while on the road, zatoichi befriends a young mother right before she is savagely murdered. I have been watching the series since i was a kid and own every film that came out on both vhs and later on dvd. The fights in this film make the likes of kill bill look even more ridiculous than it does already. Blind swordsmanmasseuse zatoichi befriends a young woman returning home with her baby. Although im a hardcore fan i do enjoy different interpretations of the franchise like kitanos 2003 remake and the ayase haruka version ichi which was not a rip off, by the way. Sep 16, 2015 from its premise, fight, zatoichi, fight may seem like the most sentimental, if not outright clicheed film in the series. The tale of zatoichi was released in japan on april 12, 1962.
Mar 10, 2017 zatoichi is a criticallyacclaimed recent entry in a decadeslong japanese media franchise, but i regrettably found it to be rather poor, with limp, meandering pacing and fun yet uninteresting. Going by the body count this is a god damn brutal film, but because ichi is so subdued for most of the story it sorta counters that brutal feeling. Watch full episode of fight, zatoichi, fight japanese. Love the gambling dice scene and you know if a gambling scene stands out in a zatoichi film. After being wounded in a fight, zatoichi is nursed to health by a young woman and her father.
Sep 30, 2011 beat takeshi kitano directs and plays the title role in this tribute to the wildly popular blind swordsman of japanese cinema who was the hero of more than 20 movies and a television series from. The first film was made in 1962 in black and white. While jumonji is memorable, with a signature move of thumbing his nose and. One of criterions bestever home video releases, zatoichi. But during his 5decade film career, out of all his 105 films that hes done, fight, zatoichi, fight is definitely his best film ever. Zatoichi is one of the great characters of any medieval japanese film, and unusually he is not a samurai himself. Kenji misumi foreshadows a concept he would go on to make legendary with the lone wolf and cub series later on in a film that has a healthy mix of action, humour and drama. And in fight, zatoichi, fight zatoichi goes lone wolf and cub on us while trying to avoid all the people he has pissed off the previous films. Add this disc to criterions magnificent 25film zatoichi. Fight zatoichi fight was the eighth film in the franchise.
With 25 adventures of shintaro katsus famed blind, wandering swordsman zatoichi recently becoming available through both a remarkable criterion collection box set, and digitally via hulu plus, our team decided it was time to walk down the dusty roads of adventure and watch and discuss the entire legendary chanbara series. Our introduction 126 and one of the best of the series. Not long after this, japanese director takeshi kitano created his own updated version of the series, the blind swordsman. Ichi gains the reluctant help of a young pickpocket and together they travel to find the babys father. Judd reid 100 man fight official documentary extra content duration. He is befriended by omiyo, who had the same wetnurse as zatoichi. Indeed, a kurosawa influence can be felt throughout the film, with settings, story elements, a raindrenched sword fight and a comic training sequence echoing seven samurai, and the band of outsiders that zatoichi finds himself part of has the same flavour as the ragtag group of adventurers in the hidden fortress, complete, of course, with its.
We then move on to the 26th film, which came 16 years later and served as katsus very final appearance as zatoichi. This was director kazuo ikehiros second film in the series and maybe a more confident film than the last. A weak repetition of fight, zatoichi, fight without the freshness and even with some of the previous films same jokes recycled. Capping off zatoichis feature film era before he made the transition to television in 1974, this chapter is suffused with melancholy, closing the series on a note of seriousness and emotional heft that. Zatoichi challenged 1726 is probably the most complete film and the one id recommend if youre only going to commit to watching one. Again and again, he would fight, taking down a platoon of opponents with. Fight, zatoichi, fight letterboxd your life in film. Its the only film from the series directed by akira inoue, which is a bit rare for a director only doing one.
They dont have the most demanding continuity but they build on each other and zatoichi grows as a character throughout them. While jumonji is memorable, with a signature move of thumbing his nose and then snapping his fingers, his inevitable demise is not. Zatoichis conspiracy 1973 directed by kimiyoshi yasuda. Zatoichi is one of several fictional blind heroes with superhuman fighting skills, and while predated by such american characters as the pulp fiction and comic book heroes the. Zatoichi takeshi kitano and the ronin samurai genosuke tadanobu asano battle each other in a quick and deadly duel. This criterion box set of all 25 of the early zatoichi movies is a bargain. The film was followedup with the tale of zatoichi continues in 1962. He soon discovers that his saviors are caught between sparring crime lords. Fight, zatoichi, fight akfilmfan while the story isnt very complex, the mix of pathos, humor, and katsus performance make this 8th film a very delightful change of pace for the series.
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