Zatōichi (2003 film)

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Zatōichi
Directed by Takeshi Kitano
Produced by Masayuki Mori
Tsunehisa Saitō
Written by Takeshi Kitano
based on a novel by
Kan Shimozawa
Starring Beat Takeshi
Tadanobu Asano
Michiyo Okusu
Yui Natsukawa
Guadalcanal Taka
Daigiro Tachibana
Yuko Daike
Ittoku Kishibe
Saburo Ishikura
Akira Emoto
Music by Keiichi Suzuki
Cinematography Katsumi Yanagijima
Editing by Takeshi Kitano
Yoshinori Ōta
Distributed by Flag of Japan Shochiku
Flag of Japan Office Kitano
Flag of the United States Miramax Films
Release date(s) Flag of Italy Sept. 2, 2003
Flag of Japan Sept. 6, 2003
Flag of France November 5, 2003
Flag of Switzerland November 5, 2003
Flag of Belgium Dec. 10, 2003
Running time 116 min.
Country Japan
Language Japanese
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Zatōichi (座頭市 Zatōichi?) is a 2003 Japanese samurai drama and action film, directed, written, co-edited, and starring Japanese entertainment legend Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi). The film is a high-budget revival of the classic Zatōichi series of samurai film and television dramas. It premiered on September 3, 2003 at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Silver Lion award, and went on to numerous other awards both at home and abroad. It also stars Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Okusu, Yui Natsukawa, Guadalcanal Taka, Daigiro Tachibana, Yuko Daike, Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura, and Akira Emoto.

Contents

[edit] Overview

[edit] Plot

Kitano plays the role of the blind swordsman himself. The film's plot follows a traditional theme, with Zatōichi coming to the defense of townspeople caught up in a local Yakuza gang war, and being forced to pay excessive amounts of protection money. Meanwhile, Zatōichi befriends a local farmer and her gambler nephew and eventually offers his assistance two geisha siblings (one of whom is actually a man) who are seeking revenge for the murder of their parents. The siblings are the only survivors of a massacre that was carried out on their family estate in order to obtain large sums of money. They soon discover the people responsible for the murders are the same Yakuza wreaking havoc on the small town.

After slicing his way through an army of henchmen, Zatōichi defeats the Yakuzas' bodyguard, a powerful ronin, in a duel. Zatōichi later wanders into town and confronts the Yakuza bosses, tricking them into thinking he can see (by opening his eyes and telling them that the blind see people better), and kills the second-in-command and blinds the elderly Yakuza boss. The film ends with an unexpected dance number led by noted Japanese tap dance troupe The Stripes and Zatōichi walking down a trail, tripping over a rock then saying "Even with my eyes wide open, I can't see a damn thing"

[edit] Production

The film features computer-generated blood throughout. Yet, unlike most other instances of this in recent films, Kitano often utilizes it in a very stylized manner, in order to bring more visual beauty to the scenes of violence.

This incarnation of Zatōichi, going along with Kitano's desire to modernize his figure, has peroxide-blonde hair (which Kitano dyed around New Year), and the sheath of his cane-sword is blood-red: a warning (actually, Kitano wanted it to make up a three-color palette for his Zatoichi, as he appears dressed in blue throughout the movie).


[edit] Cast

Note: Michiyo Okusu costarred with the original Zatōichi, Shintaro Katsu, in the 14th film, Zatoichi's Pilgrimage.

[edit] Staff

Beat Takeshi as Zatoichi
Beat Takeshi as Zatoichi

[edit] External links

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Films directed by Takeshi Kitano