La légende de Zatoïchi - La canne-épée

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.

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.

Zatoichi's Cane Sword is the fifteenth entry in the franchise about the clever gambler, blind masseur and skilled swordsman with a lowly yakuza background and I still can't get enough of this series with its authentic atmosphere bringing rural Japan of the mid-nineteenth century to life, with its unique lead character with a strong moral compass masterfully played by a credible Katsu Shintaro and the cool story lines involving conspiracies, greed, love, murder and redemption. As in many other films, Zatoichi comes across a dying boss who can only tell him his name. The blind masseur goes to the next town and stays in an old inn where he comes across the dead man's children. While the son is reluctant to take over his father's business, the daughter is determined to convince him and save their family's reputation. However, another boss named Iwagoro, supported by corrupt government official Inspector Kuwayama, wants to take over the dead man's business by any means necessary. Zatoichi tries to remain neutral in the conflict but when the dead man's son is brutally killed and the dead man's daughter lured away from the inn, Zatoichi decides to set things right. However, there is one big problem. The local blacksmith informs Zatoichi that his cane sword is about to break and that the blind masseur might only have one strike left before it snaps.

As usual, there are many positive elements about this film. First of all, the characters are very nicely developed in this film. The drunk blacksmith that rediscovers his art, the determined daughter who never gives up, the reluctant son who wants to avoid conflicts, the pervert government official and the wicked boss are all intriguing characters. The fact that Zatoichi has to fight without his usual cane sword at times adds some tension to the film. The movie has a few interesting twists that keep the viewers interested until the very end. The final fight sequence at night and in the snow when both Zatoichi and his opponents use numerous tricks to fight each other is particularly well-choreographed. In addition to this, the movie includes a few brief yet refreshing humorous scenes such as Zatoichi performing a chant and dance to make fun of the evil boss and Zatoichi playing a game of dice with an overtly self-confident loudmouth who challenges him to a duel.

However, the film also has a few flaws. The story is extremely similar to other movies and lacking some fresh originality. On the other side, the story is also more complex and at times a little bit hard to follow with its numerous characters, side stories and minor twists. It would have been better if the movie had been a few minutes longer to tell this complex story in greater detail.

Still, Zatoichi's Cane Sword is an above average entry in the franchise. The tense atmosphere in the inn where several key scenes take place is a very intriguing guiding line. The characters have depth and you either root for them or despise them quickly. The complex story is a little bit more challenging than usual which has positive and negative consequences. Collectors and fans of the franchise might appreciate this movie more than some of the weaker previous films but it's not strong enough in my book to be among the franchise's best entries. Those who aren't familiar with Zatoichi yet shouldn't start here and discover the series in chronological order.

This is another fine performance by Shintaro Katsu. First he gets a ride with a group of traveling performers. The woman singing the song had such a beautiful voice, she sounded like a professional singer. Then, he befriends a swordmaker, who tells him that his sword is about to break after another kill. So Zatoichi reluctantly gives him his sword, and has to fight only using a bamboo cane. The best part of the movie is when he does his song and dance routine about the ducks. He looked so goofy wearing that scarf around his head. It made him look like a woman. It was SO funny, I could not stop laughing even after that scene was over.

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

"Ichi tries to help a dying man named Shotaro, who dies soon after due to the seriousness of his wounds. Before he dies, he is able to say that he comes from the city of Ashikaga. A little later, the masseur is picked up in the caravan of a singer, who takes him precisely to the neighboring Ashikaga, where an event is about to take place...

Fifteenth film of the adventures of Zatoichi directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, a habitual director of jidaigeki who has already been behind the cameras on other occasions to direct more films of the saga of the blind masseur.

Zato means "masseur" (or rather a specific class of masseurs, that class of vagabonds to which the main character belongs) and Ichi, his first name, is also equivalent to the name for "one". For this reason, throughout the films, many times the people he meets are surprised that he presents himself only as "Ichi", believing that it is the abbreviation of a longer name (such as "Senkichi" or "Tadekichi"...).

Once again we observe that Ichi is tired of leading a life full of violence, and that he must always kill his enemies in spite of himself, because he is pushed to do so by circumstances. If it were up to him, he would simply devote himself to his work as a masseur... without forgetting his passion for the dice game. In any case, belonging to the guild of blind masseurs, he is predestined to wander all over Yamato, wandering from one side to the other, never being able to settle in a fixed place. The women he meets along his journeys as well as the friendships he makes during his constant travels are always ephemeral relationships.

Although we know that Ichi wishes from the depths of his being to abandon the path of blood, it is surprising that he gives his sword so easily to the blacksmith when he tells him that "it will no longer be possible" to repair it... How then will Ichi defend himself from now on, from all the enemies waiting for him?