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Author Topic: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)  (Read 20779 times)

1SO

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #30 on: April 20, 2014, 12:27:06 AM »

3: New Tale of Zatoichi

Due to computer issues, it was days between when I started this film and when I finished it. It's not a deep or complex story. I picked things back up rather quickly, but I wanted this to be known. This Chapter could be called Zatoichi in Love, but don't worry this isn't a kissing film. What starts as a playful adventure with Zatoichi going after some muggers, develops into one of the richer character stories, something I don't expect to find as much of in later adventures. Like Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, I'm really taken by how Shintarô Katsu throws himself into the part. He doesn't play Zatoichi tongue in cheek. There's pity in seeing Z ecstatically renounce his vices and try to stick to his promise, but a fox is a fox and cannot be tamed, especially when you have developed a reputation that isn't going away anytime soon. Much more interesting way to go than killing the girl to release the monster inside.
RATING: * * *

Antares

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #31 on: April 20, 2014, 05:16:53 PM »


Zatoichi's Vengeance (1966) 78/100 - As I was watching this film, I started to wonder if Shintarô Katsu was beginning to think his Zatoichi character was being idolized by children, but for the wrong reason. When you look at the previous twelve films, Ichi kills on average, about twenty to thirty men over the course of a film's length. It wouldn't be any different with this film, but at least the storyline has Ichi pondering, thanks to meeting a blind monk who points out his violent nature to him, the possible influence he has on a young child. In some ways, this blind monk is reminiscent of the chamberlain's wife in Kurosawa's Tsubaki Sanjûrô, who points out to the ronin samurai that he is an unsheathed sword, dripping in blood. Her wisdom is that the most powerful sword, is the one that is never wielded, but remains in its scabbard. The monk tries to get Ichi to see his reckless disregard for human life and Ichi tries to make himself appear cowardly in front of the young boy. At first it works, but then the villagers are set upon by a yakuza boss, and Ichi goes back into blind badass mode. There's a lot of soul searching in this one, and it works. It makes this entry in the series, one of the most interesting so far, and a good lead in to the next film, Zatoichi's Pilgrimage. Which was written by Kaneto Shindô, and follows the same philosophical storyline.
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1SO

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #32 on: April 22, 2014, 01:34:43 AM »

4: Zatoichi The Fugitive
"Wherever I go, I'm the God of calamity."

The grind of cranking out a series is starting to show. This adventure opens with a humorous wrestling sequence. Turns out Zatoichi is an expert in this area too. (I wonder how long it will be before Z wins a baking contest.) After, the series gets its first new wrinkle to the formula as Zatoichi kills an inexperienced swordsman in a duel and faces the consequences of this action. In a series which must have a final body count around 1000 - the finale here alone is about 50 - it's interesting to watch our lead do a sympathetic turn and take responsibility for his murder (in self defense.)

I thought things were headed in an interesting direction, but the new elements are like changes between Bond films. (Casino Royale excluded.) There's always a couple of adjustments to promote - Z is cut in battle - but they're never going to throw away the old successful formula. The plot is by-the-numbers to where Shintarô Katsu can't find a new way for Zatoichi to tell a woman how much he appreciates her love and kindness, no matter how much this one is supposed to mean to him.


This outing also suffers from lots of sloppy editing. It might be that they didn't have enough time to get all the footage, but many scenes start or end abruptly. (I especially hate it when they cut away from people laughing. That sound break to something else throws me out every time.) You get shots that cut together like the two images above that are consecutive frames.


I'm also seeing two different versions of Zatoichi's reputation now. To some he is such a master swordsman that it's an honor to die by his blade in battle. Most of the time here, the bad guys grumble about the shame of being beaten by a blind man. I get that you have to take reputations from their source, but it's been proven pretty thoroughly that Zatoichi isn't an ordinary blind guy. In fact, he's entering superhero mode with this finale, taking on dozens of opponents in a big action blowout. It's kind of spectacular, with some great moments like the guy who presses his sword deep into the sand as he goes down, but it also starts to tip the series into the silly.
RATING: * * 1/2

1SO

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #33 on: April 23, 2014, 01:14:29 AM »
Any idea how much a ryo is worth? Is it less or more valuable than a gold coin?

This next Zatoichi has a new currency when some guys are to be paid 2 bu each to kill Z. I wish I knew what they were being offered.

Antares

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #34 on: April 23, 2014, 06:23:08 AM »
4000 mon = 16 shu = 4 bu = 1 ryo
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Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #35 on: April 23, 2014, 06:25:37 AM »
According to wiki, depending on the time period, and Zatoichi is later period, 1 Ryo was equivalent to roughly the amount of rice needed to feed one person for one year (earlier it had been worth 4 years of rice).

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #36 on: April 23, 2014, 05:56:39 PM »

5: Zatoichi On the Road
"Don't go to the front once it starts.
You don't want to get hurt in a stupid fight like this."


With On the Road this series is sinking into a rut and my goodwill is starting to dwindle. I still love the lightning fast demonstrations and Shintarô Katsu's performance, but the stories aren't trying to do anything interesting. Antares, you mentioned the similarity to Yojimbo. That wasn't apparent to me until the final third which copies pages from the Kurosawa film. Before that I thought of The Hidden Fortress with Z promising to transport a young girl who seems to be of interest to a lot of bad people. Either way, nothing is developed into something even slightly compelling.

You say "Zatoichi is definitely in bad ass mode for this outing," but nothing he does is cool in an inspired way. None of his threats or action beats bear repeating. The closest is a moment where he's sitting on the ground and defends the girl against three assassins. That's followed by the other moment I really liked. The girl speaks from the heart and as she finishes, the camera pans down to the table. We see drops of water hit, and the girl presses her finger into the tears, hoping Zatoichi didn't hear them fall.

The ending pointed up how little I cared between the two clans. They were just bodies to go down. I keep waiting for someone to use noise to take advantage of Zatoichi's blindness and there's something here involving carts, but it's a half-assed plan, and not directly connected to his hearing. (Why not have some guys endlessly rock the carts back and forth?) Then there's the new low point of the series where Zatoichi stops mid-fight for a drink of water. Of course, he draws in some guys who try to take advantage of his vulnerability. Katsu's reaction - perhaps he was seriously hoping to be left alone while he gulped some water - makes it the first WTF moment in the series.
RATING: * *

Antares

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #37 on: April 23, 2014, 07:20:11 PM »
I keep waiting for someone to use noise to take advantage of Zatoichi's blindness

I can't remember which film does it first, but one gang uses large fire torches to distract him and the noise you're looking for doesn't come into play until Zatoichi's Vengeance. If you look at that image on my review, you see samurai swords and large drums that a clan beats to distract him. They come at him from two side of a small bridge.

Don't get disheartened, you have a couple of lesser films coming up, but then you hit a stretch of really good ones. I just finished Zatoichi's Pilgrimage, and it's one of the best so far.
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Antares

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #38 on: April 23, 2014, 07:50:26 PM »


Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (1966) 80/100 - So far, the films in this series that have been my favorites, all tend to be well balanced between action and philosophical storyline. I had been looking forward to this entry because the screenplay was written by Kaneto Shindô, a director and screenwriter known for his atmospheric, moody stories. Yet, I wonder what the original treatment for this screenplay was like, because it starts off as if it's going to be a deep, soul searching journey for Zatoichi. But then midstream, it reverts back to the standard action formula. Did the executives at Daiei order changes to Shindô's screenplay because they were scared that the somber tone would turn off viewers? If they did, then they really made a mistake. Coupled with some of the lushest cinematography so far, this was the film that was going to give Zatoichi a depth that really is needed to stay fresh with the character. It's almost as if Katsu is starting to realize the power that he has in guiding his film franchise along, but is still unwilling to make Daiei lockstep behind him. It's a very good film, but once again, with a few moderate changes, could have been considered a classic.
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1SO

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Re: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection)
« Reply #39 on: April 25, 2014, 10:11:05 PM »

6: Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold

Antares, you undersold this one. Uneven, definitely. Those plot holes, I caught them too. But director Kazuo Ikehiro's flashy tricks made for a very spirited romp. Right from the opening, the style is so striking I almost considered calling this a reboot. There's a shot of men carrying lanterns as they race out of the darkness towards the camera that's the most amazing image in the series so far. The still compositions have a beauty I've been searching for when making screenshots for these reviews. For example...


I love the mystery over who has the chest of gold, and how Zatoichi has to solve this to clear both his own name and the reputation of a samurai he respects. The weakness of the film is this mystery gets more interesting and muddled in equal amounts. A little clarification from the script and this would've been the first 3.5 star Zatoichi.

It's also interesting to watch the series getting more modern. This is the bloodiest Zatoichi, and there's a steamy bathhouse scene that comes very, very close to nudity. Then there's the bawdy scene where Z meets a large, older, less attractive woman who (as the script puts it) gives him "his first massage".

The final battle is also the best of the series. For the first time, Zatoichi is clearly unmatched and takes quite a beating. Once he levels the odds and brings it down to swordplay, it's a thrilling 30 seconds followed by an interesting coda where Z walks away clearly shaken by the encounter. This entry has me thrilled that Kazuo Ikehiro directs a couple of more adventures.
RATING: * * *