La légende de Zatoïchi - La canne-épée

Master Ichi finds out from a friendly sword-smith that his legendary blade has a weak point and thus, will break upon his next attack. This inspires him to give it up and attempt to live life on the straight and narrow. Of course, with all the evil men lurking about and terrorizing the locals, somebody eventually has to do something. And you know who that somebody is. There's not too much action for the first hour but when it comes, it's classic Zatoichi, meaning some of it must be rewound just to enjoy it a second time. Zatoichi's Cane Sword (#15) is one of the best in the 27-film series (and has some of the best bits of humor from Zatoichi, like the whole "duck dance" scene) and as such, I'd recommend it to both fans and non-fans alike. And in case no one knew, Katsu Shintarô rocks.

This is one of the best Zatoichi movies. It has lots of humor, great action scenes and a history of Zatorichi's sword. Zatoichi gives up his sword when he discovers it is about to fail. Later, when gang of swordsmen attack him he must defend himself with just his bamboo cane. In another fight he defends himself against a knife attack with his pipe. After he gets a sword back, he finds himself sealed in a barrel by his attackers. But he defeats the attachers by stabbing through the barrel.

The best scene in the movie is Zatoichi doing a crazy song and dance about trying to catch ducks. Because it is completely out of character for Zatoichi, it is very funny. But at the same time you have to appreciate how good the performance is. When the dance is over, Zatoichi proceeds to "accidentally" insult the gang leader by mooning him, ignoring his offer of sake and then spilling sake on him.

The underlying story line is the same as most Zatoichi films. The villagers are being exploited by a violent gang and corrupt leader. Zatoichi kills enough bad guys until the town is saved.

I love the Zatoichi movies, though I have found that because they made so many and the plots tended to blend together so often, it is hard to distinguish them apart. I would give all of them about the same score of a 7 or an 8--with a few exceptions (the return of the original in 1989 was a TERRIBLE and depressing movie, while the new Zatoichi movie starring Beat Takeshi is probably the best of any Zatoichi movies).

This movie features a unique plot--something many Ichi films do not feature. His relationship with the sword maker and what happens when his old blade ultimately breaks make this one stand out from the crowd. It's also nice to see that he is indeed NOT invincible.

In this new episode of the Zatôichi'a saga, the blind hero regains some of his charisma, in an adventure of gambling, gangsters and katanas of sublime quality.

Only the use of color prevents a complete return to the brightness of the first episode. Not that the cinematography of Senkichirô Takeda, an experienced and competent technician, is bad. The problem is that this Zatôichi is a lonely hero, a gambler and an adventurer who dabbles in the underworld of the Yakuza to settle disputes and protect the underdog. He is a ronin who shines most brightly in the shadows of black and white. As if it were a hybrid of a western and a film noir, transposed to feudal Japan.

The fashion for color has changed Zatôichi. But in this film it is still possible to find traces of the surprising character of the first episode.

After a romantic break, Zatôichi returns to his natural habitat in style. As if Clint Eastwood was temporarily transported by magic to the "western" ronin universe.

This entry in the Zatoichi series has been reviewed extensively at IMDb for good reason. If you have grown to admire Zatoichi and enjoyed earlier films in the series, you are sure to love Zatoichi Tekka Tabi. If you are a fan of samurai films with a lot of action and spurting blood, then you will lose patience with this film. Warning for the before-mentioned samurai film fans; Zatoichi doesn't make his first kill until the 77th minute!

All of the most interesting scenes have been described by others. There is a great variety of scenes and Katsu Shintaro is at his best. I do have to mention the Duck Song scene. It is absolutely devastating. It's a short little song and dance performed by Zatoichi that blasts the boss who is hosting the party. Zatoichi finishes his song, waits, and doesn't hear any applause. The audience is stunned by his audacity. The scene continues with fabulous dialog between the boss and Zatoichi. It's pure gold.

The film eventually does take the viewer into familiar territory and by now you should know what to expect. The cinematography of Zatoichi entering the town holding an umbrella under falling snow is one of my favorite images from the series.

If you are looking to add to your Zatoichi DVD collection, this one is a no-brainer. It's terrific stuff served up by Katsu at his best.