Zatoichi

Zatoichi, the blind swordsman, is a famous fictional character in Japan. You may have seen Blind Fury, starring Rutger Hauer, in 1989. His character was loosely based on Zatoichi.

In this latest Zatoichi offering, director Takeshi Kitano (AKA Beat Takeshi when acting the lead) has put together a humdinger of a movie. If you like your samurai sword fights crisp, quick, and very red, this film has many over-the-top battles as the blind swordsman (and masseur), Zatoichi, remedies the wrongs in a village town beset by gangs of thugs running protection and gambling rackets.

There is a wonderful life in this tale of death and revenge. The wit, humor, and sub-plots running through the film keep it from turning into a simple hydraulic bloodbath. It is firmly in the same quality category as the Lone Wolf and Cub samurai movies of the early 1970s Japanese cinema.

There is almost a meditative air in many parts of the movie. Rain and sound play an interesting role in this film. There is depth here that might require a second viewing. And not all of the bad guys are all bad, as in the case of Hattori, the ronin bodyguard, played by Tadanobu Asano. I felt some sympathy for his situation, even though he is by necessity a cold blooded killer.

Maybe the only thing they have in common is sword fighting, but I found it much more entertaining than Kill Bill.