ZATOICHI

"I knew he wasn't blind"

Wandering blind, masseur Zatoichi (Kitano) arrives in a feudal Japanese town that is gripped by clan wars. It is the people who are suffering however as they are been exploited for their money and their produce by the rival clans. Ichi decides to intervene and investigate the true motivations behind the war.

Imagine a movie that mixes martial arts, comedy and dance all into a historical drama and you have Zatoichi.

Based on a series of twenty-six movies that started way back in 1962 and starred legendary Japanese actor Shintarô Katsu, Zatoichi is a reinvention of the franchise that takes all the best elements of the previous films and combines them with modern filmmaking techniques.Writer, director and star Takeshi Kitano fuses the traditions of period drama filmmaking with slapstick comedy and a hit of Bollywood to produce a very unique take on the blind samurai legend. It's hard to imagine a movie that blends the revelations of the finale with the rest of the cast performing a dance routine.

The performances are very good. Kitano himself is excellent as Ichi. This is a very subdued performance that suddenly and energetically sparks into life when danger rears its ugly head. He is a man that on first impression wouldn't say boo to a goose but he is the epitome of the saying "looks can be deceiving". Gadarukanaru Taka is also good as the hapless gambler Shinkichi. He is the comic relief of the piece with his sword fighting training school been the comedic highlight of the piece. Tadanobu Asano as the travelling ronin Gennosuke Hattori provides the real drama to the film. This is a samurai without a master whose ill wife cannot cope with him hiring his sword out for money.

The look of the movie is superb. Kitano and his crew really capture the impression of feudal Japan with excellent set and costume designs. The fight choreography is also first rate, with speed and accuracy tantamount to each set piece. The inclusion of CG blood wasn't the best idea however as it does look blatantly obvious that it isn't real.

Combining differing styles and approaches makes Zatoichi hard to pigeonhole into a specific genre type. It isn't an historical epic, all-out martial arts movie, dance spectacular or comedic folly but a combination of all four, making it distinctly Japanese. Strange but inventive, the new Zatoichi could be the start of another great franchise.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese language soundtrack, the transfer is good. The picture quality is very good throughout, even during the nighttime climatic scenes and the energetic dance sequence. The sound quality is also very good with a strong emphasis on dialogue and a good use of the surround during the well-choreographed fights.

BONUS FEATURES

Making of Documentary (39.58 mins)
Writer/director/star Takeshi Kitano takes behind the scenes of the five-week shoot of his re-imagination of Zatoichi. With interviews with stars Tadanobu Asano, Akira Emoto, Michiyo Ogusu and Daigorô Tachibana the documentary covers all aspects of the movie, from the extensive dance and fight rehearsals to the building of the elaborate location and studio sets. Kitano himself discusses the differences between his version and the Shintarô Katsu classics and his use of new inventive camera techniques to bring the film to life.

Theatrical Trailer (1.32 mins)
Your chance to watch the final UK trailer for the movie.

Kitano Filmography
A text biography of the renowned Japanese filmmaker and a list of his previous films.

Asano Filmography
A text biography of the Japanese superstar and a list of his previous films. Stills Gallery View production stills, behind the scenes shots and poster for Zatoichi

OVERALL

Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi gets a very good DVD treatment for a foreign movie. Usually they are devoid of any bonus features but this has a treat in the form of the documentary. This is a must watch for fans of the great director as shows him at work and the sheer amount of time and dedication both he and his crew put into the film. The picture and sound quality are very good, making this a very good purchase for fans and a good nights rent for everyone else.

DVD

The 26 original Zatoichi movies

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2004