Le samouraï aveugle

This film sure started off well. Instead of the usual credits, these were the coolest ones yet. Against a black background, Zatôichi smokes a cigarette as periodically evil men attack him and he dispatches them like flies--and continues smoking like he's the toughest guy in town!

When the film itself begins, Zatôichi comes upon a humble village where they are having a celebration. It seems that after three years of drought, the villagers had a good harvest and can finally pay off the tax bill. However, when the money is stolen, the villagers stupidly believe the stranger in town (Zatôichi) did it. Considering that he's blind and doesn't leave after the theft, it sure seems ridiculous to blame him. Further, after the townsfolk beat him up, it's also very surprising that our hero would agree to help them find their stolen funds.

Zatôichi assumes boss Chuji is behind the theft and makes his way towards his village. On the way, he meets a beautiful but mysterious lady. He doesn't seem to think much of this meeting, but oddly you later see this lady begging the local bosses to have Zatôichi killed. But why?!

When Zatôichi finally meets up with Chuji, his assumption is proved wrong, though it IS true that some of his men were involved in the theft. Zatôichi swears to continue following the trail to the money AND also now agrees to transport a little boy for Chuji to another town. Oh, that Ichi--always helping others and not thinking one bit about himself!

A bit later, most of Chuji's men are killed and he barely escapes. It seems that Monji (another boss) is NOT Chuji's friend after all and he's in league with Jushiro. At this point, if you are feeling a bit confused, don't worry. Though you may not be able to determine who exactly is who, just rest assured that Zatôichi will be administering a well-earned butt kicking!!

Overall, this is a very good addition to the series. While it lacks some of the heart and back story of the best films in the series, the plot was engaging and different. Well worth seeing.

In this classic samurai tale, we follow the deadly trail of Zatoichi-a blind swordsman who has sworn to prove his innocence with regards to his unknowing involvement with the robbery of a chest of gold containing the local farmers tax payment while bringing the real culprits to justice. Here we have the classic hero, the defender and champion of the poor albeit here a most unlikely since the farm villagers think he was responsible for the robbery and he is as he might say "a simple blind man". A bit of suspension of disbelief is required but boy is this ever great stuff! Any fan of sword-fighting films should find much to enjoy here.

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."

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.

This one has my favourite intro of the Zatoichi series. It's incredibly stylish with Ichi slaying numerous groups of hostile samurai in the darkness. The way this chapter of Ichi's saga is told was indeed a welcome change to the visuals and storyboarding, which I felt had stagnated in the previous two films. The plot resonates deeply too. Corruption is the theme of this tale, and of course our hero has to sort this mess out by unleashing some calculated chaos upon the twisted fiends in authority. It would be great if things worked like that in the real world. Maybe if each of us were a little more like Ichi, then one day... who knows.