Gary-The King-Tooze

Well, where can I start? The first 50 minutes were building well... and then its like they had no story to continue and a 6 year old was making up the plot. I moderately liked Kurosawa's "Cure", but this had absolutely no point to it... certainly not one that I could distinguish. The guys from Mystery Theater 3000 would have torn all those massive plot holes apart at the seams. I began to suspect that it was turning into a comedy.... honestly. I don't think I have ever seen a film fall so abruptly flat on its face. I defy anyone to explain or even remember all the plot instances (how many times did people get bashed over the noggin with a pipe or wrench?). I really don't think there was any organization in this production.... ohh, and those split screens were not particularly innovative or purposeful. The film may be the worst I have seen in many years. It was ridiculous and absurd

Zatoichi films are all pretty similar. There are gambling (dice) scenes, Zatoichi vs. large gang fighting scenes, massaging scenes (usually of beautiful women), Zatoichi eating and drinking scenes, bath scenes, travel sequences, often a scenes with a child (or children) - and they all wonderful. One other consistent element is that they all are shot in glorious widescreen and contain some exquisite cinematography. I always find at least a couple of scenes in each film of this series to be quite breathtaking - certainly worthy of pondering over. I find these films so appealing regardless that I know exactly what is to come.

In this chapter Zatoichi meets a rather confident and intelligent foe in the guise of a chess expert. This is, of course, after he has easily defeated all his lesser foes who seek vengeance on his gambling prowess (sound familiar?). We have a female love interest and Zatoichi spurning her because of his opinion of his own "lowlife" status. All in all I was more enthralled with the first 3/4's of this particular film, but felt it failed slightly at the end. Still I think the world of Zatoichi so I give this 4.5 /5

A film that continually details the fundamental survival qualities of the title character-a basic premise infusing her ability to cope and her morality. I like to think of Rosetta as the anti-Citizen Kane. The conclusion of both films focuses on the resolute failure of placing the value of economic determinism and its perceived happiness over the more humanistic pursuit of the joys, wants, and basic needs of the human condition. Rosetta however comes at this conflict from the most basic, sparse end of the spectrum-one that more people should be able to relate to.

Often compared to Robert Bresson's Mouchette, Rosetta's conclusion is perhaps best described as 'Bressonian.' In the end we see a young woman stripped of everything-at her most desperate and most defeated. Yet she has given up, thrown in the towel because of the nature of her character as opposed to the extensively defeating circumstances that she's burdened under. Her final glance at the camera tells us how far she has been reduced. Her eyes are reaching out, unlike her past displays of anger, frustration, or selfishness, but instead with the least obstructed countenance she's capable of offering. Just one small human cry for help-and yet it means everything.