Zatôichi, le masseur aveugle

This series is a ton of fun, but other than the morality questions they raise, they aren't much deeper than the films in the James Bond series. When a series of movies has this many entries, the films become almost like an episodic television show, where we get to come back and reunite with characters that we love. Zatoichi is the best part of this movie. His character is similar to characters we've seen in "The Hidden Fortress" or "Ran", but he's a little bit more fun. His character has a tongue-in-cheek quality to him, and he's a swindler, but at the same time, as far as his stance on violence goes, he stands on a moral high ground above many of the other characters in this film. The final battle is well shot, and awesomely choreographed, and Shintaro Katsu is incredibly captivating as the lead, which is good, considering there are twenty-four more films in this series.

Just discovered this film series and have now viewed the first three. Outstanding entertainment!

The story of a blind, meek master swordsman "Zatoichi" is very well done, just a notch below Seven Samurai in excellence. The lead actor who plays "Ichi" in almost all the films, Shintaro Katsu, later wrote and directed some entries.

The plots are interesting and characters well-drawn. Anyone who enjoyed the Samurai films of Akira Kurosawa with Toshiro Mifune should enjoy this film and its sequels. "Ichi" is similar to the Mifune characters in his deliberately unprepossessing appearance and aversion to violence, but when he is pushed too far, watch out! Also, despite his blindness and poverty, he is something of a chick-magnet for some very attractive Japanese women.

You can find considerably more detail on Shintaro Katsu and these films on Wikipedia.

The Tale of Zatoichi is the first in a long series of samurai movies centered around the blind gambler and masseur turned lowly yakuza who has a strong moral compass and makes us feel empathic not because he is blind and underestimated but because he is brave and honest as he always tries to do the right thing. This first movie is one out of two shot in black and white and has a unique atmosphere that makes life in rural Japan come to life in an authentic manner. This film shows how Zatoichi gets caught up in a war between two rival gangs. Even though he isn't respected by the gang he is supposed to represent and uncovers unfair gambling methods, misogyny and murder, he has accepted the fate that he has to live the life of a lowly criminal that he never really wanted. He develops a profound friendship with the rival's ronin who suffers from tuberculosis as they have similar values and share a passion for fishing and sake. However, one day, the two friends know they must face each other in a decisive battle.

There are several elements that make this movie so outstanding. First of all, the film's authentic settings bring the culture and history of rural Japan to life in a very authentic way. Secondly, the protagonist convinces as a man who relies on his moral compass and cleverness first and foremost and only draws a sword if he doesn't have any other choice. Thirdly, the numerous side characters are quite interesting as well, especially Zatoichi's wise opponent Hirate, the ruthless criminal Tate and his proud but desperate sister Otane who ends up falling in love with Zatoichi. Fourthly, the dialogues are really to the point and add something to characters and plot unlike many contemporary martial arts flicks. Fifthly, the few fight sequences in the movie are carefully choreographed and would go on to inspire any other genre film that would follow this movie.

By today's standards, The Tale of Zatoichi might not be the most vivid genre film but it's crafted in an artistic, detailed and intellectual manner that still stands out far over five decades after its initial release. Any martial arts fan should give this movie a chance. I would highly recommend the stunning Criterion Collection of the Zatoichi movies that truly offers value for money. Movies of this quality are rarely made nowadays and should be hold in high regard.

I normally wouldn't dare rate a movie a 10. However for the first Zatoichi film (and maybe the second) I make an exception. An incredible tale of a flawed man at peace with the fact that he is a gangster. Zatoichi is forced into situation after situation where honor and compassion make us side with this blind man, not because of his handicap, but because he is doing the right thing. Filmed in black and white the action is superbly choreographed to convey the intensity of each situation without one bright red spray of blood across the screen. If you only watch one Samurai movie, make it this one. If you love it, then the first 25 of these masterpieces are coming to Blu Ray courtesy of Criterion this November.

"The Tale of Zatoichi" was a cultural phenomenon in Japan in the 1960s, spawning 25 sequels, a 112-episode TV series and a remake.

Set toward the end of the feudal Edo period (1603-1868), the film stars Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi, an itinerant blind masseur/swordsman. He stops in the town of Iioka one day to stay with a yakuza boss, Sukegoro, who he had met on an earlier journey.

Zatoichi is humble, but has a quiet intensity. Even though he is blind, he perceives more in the situations around him than the other participants with normal eyesight. In an early scene, Sukegoro's gangsters try to take advantage of Zatoichi in a game of dice, but he uses their underestimation of him to his advantage, and hustles the gamblers out of all their money.

Zatoichi insists his impressive skills with the katana are nothing more than parlor tricks, but Boss Sukegoro hires him to stay on, as he has plans to go to war with a rival gang in nearby Sasagawa. Sasagawa boss Shigezo hires a ronin samurai, Hirate, to counterbalance Sukegoro's Zatoichi.

Zatoichi and Hirate develop a sort of friendship, but their affection toward each other has less to do with their love of fishing or drinking than on their common code of honor. Even though they know they will be expected to fight to the death in the war between Iioka and Sasagawa, this doesn't stand between their personal friendship.

So it follows that the most interesting conflict in the movie is not the yakuza warfare between the Iioka and Sasagawa gangs, but the conflict between Zatoichi and Hirate. Hirate is dying of consumption, and seems to prefer death by Zatoichi's sword rather than let his illness or an unworthy gangster take his life.

"The Tale of Zatoichi" is both fun and stylish. But rather than being a by-the-numbers action flick, the filmmakers took the time to develop characters the audience can actually care about, which elevates Zatoichi above other films of this genre.