Zatôichi senryô-kubi

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold is one of the most exciting - and exasperating - installments in the series.

The plot is rich in incident and characters. After rural farmers pay their taxes, a corrupt magistrate and his cronies steal the gold, and leave the farmers desperate for a solution. Zatoichi finds himself in the middle of the problem. On one hand, he's pressured by the farmers, who suspect Zatoichi might have participated in the heist...and on the other, the burglary is pinned onto a cadre of honorable yakuza in a secluded hideout.

The story has a few "firsts" for the Zatoichi series. Earlier installments were bloodless, but ZATCOG shows violence for the first time - mostly with a sprinkling of fake blood. It's also the first chance for Zatoichi to develop a truly comic incident - when a smelly, less-than-competent masseuse serves him - then overcharges him.

The most problematic "first" relates to the filmmaking style. Instead of the restrained style of the first few Zatoichi films, ZATCOG uses looser editing and sound than before. Visual edits use slapdash jump cuts that are closer in spirit to the LONE WOLF AND CUB series. Faked visual and sound effects marred less several extended sequences. The most embarrassing sequence has Zatoichi carrying a little boy - clearly a dummy - on his shoulders as he slides down a ridge.

At the least, ZATCOG comes up a bunch of new situations and characters to invigorate the series - even if the director, Kazuo Ikehiro, is less than proficient at this job.

I had low expectations for this film but have to say it was a pleasant surprise. The story had humor, visually it was very interesting, and at times beautiful. The lead actor is very good and I'd like to see more of his work.

The Zatoichi series really took off with this entry. Shintaro Katsu is, of course, outstanding in his role as the blind swordsman/masseur. What sets this one aside from the earlier entries in the series, though, is the kinetic camerawork of Kazuo Miyagawa. Utilising every inch of his Panavision frame, Miyagawa set new standards for the samurai genre, choreographing outstanding fight sequences and adding the element of gore to the recipe. For those who think widescreen mayhem began with The Wild Bunch, this is essential viewing!

The following review is an extract from the book "Shintaro Katsu´s Zatoichi: Complete guide to all movies", which is now available on Amazon.

"This is the sixth part of a saga of films shot in the 1960s about the adventures of the blind swordsman Zatoichi. Always motivated by deep convictions and a strong sense of honour, on this occasion Ichi must shed light on the robbery committed against humble peasants in order to prove that he had nothing to do with the crime. Two intriguing women, the clever Ogin and the young Chiyo (sister of the warrior who killed Zatoichi the previous year) will try to prevent the blind masseur from fulfilling his laudable purpose.

(...) In "The chest of gold" we have the rare privilege of seeing in the same film the two masters of the chanbara genre: On the one hand Shintaro Katsu as the heroic Zatoichi and on the other his brother Tomisaburo Wakayama (Ogami Itto en Kozure Okami / "Lone Wolf and Cub") as his antagonist the evil ronin Joshiro. Just as in "Zatoichi's Pilgrimage" (also directed by Kazuo Ikehiro) his opponent Tohachi (Isao Yamagata) has as particularity his skill with kyudo (archery), here Joshiro stands out in the use of another weapon or combative technique: the whip."

The Zatoichi series take a huge jump upward with this entry. Everything also falls into line -- you can tell people in front of and behind the camera had really hit their stride.

This film offers more action that the previous entries, as well as stunning cinematography and gorgeous production values. Another bonus -- the appearance of Katsu Shintaro's real-life older brother, Wakayama Tomisaburo. It's as if the box office performance of the previous films justified bringing out the big guns this time.

If you're new to Zatoichi and wondering with which film to take the plunge, then "Chest of Gold" is definitely worth your time.