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Zatoichi Details

2003

70
from 20,570 members

Starring	'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano
Director	'Beat' Takeshi Kitano
Genres	Action/Adventure, World Cinema

Zatoichi

Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first period drama with ZATOICHI, an updating of the classic Japanese character portrayed by Shintaro Katsu in movies and television from 1962 to 1989. Zatoichi is a blind samurai who shuffles from town to town, righting wrongs with his remarkable sword hidden within his cane. He is also a masseuse who likes to gamble. Kitano serves as director, writer, co-editor, and star of the film, playing the protagonist under his acting name, Beat Takeshi. This version of Zatoichi, based on the stories of Kan Shimozawa, is more violent than the earlier series, as Kitano strives to make it more realistic. He has also infused a clever sense of humour, while cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima adds beautiful depth of field to many scenes.
When Zatoichi arrives in a small town, he unknowingly walks into a classic tale of revenge, as two women plot to kill the men who murdered their family. As Zatoichi becomes more involved, an eventual showdown with young samurai Hattori (Tadanobu Asano, who excelled in Takashi Miike's very violent ICHI THE KILLER) is inevitable. ZATOICHI is thrilling filmmaking at its best, an endlessly entertaining samurai epic from a man who fully understands the genre and is not afraid to take it to the next level.

Starring	'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano
Director	'Beat' Takeshi Kitano
Studio	FUSION MEDIA
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 51 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 55 mins
Certificate
Collections	100 Swords and Sandals Films
Genres	Action/Adventure, World Cinema
Language	DVD: Japanese Blu-ray: Japanese
Subtitles	DVD: English Blu-ray: English
Released	Production year: 2003 To Rent: DVD: 26 Jul 2004 Blu-ray: 27 Oct 2008

Zatoichi (2003)

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Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first...
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Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first...

Critic's review of Zatoichi
View all critics' reviews (6)
- Feudal Japan in the 19th century is a time of cruel injustice, corrupt clan-leaders and violent oppression. To a... read more on Time Out
- 46960
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:17
Most helpful member's review of Zatoichi
View all members' reviews (197)
- - 55
  - 7
  Utterly Brilliant!
  
  Kitano does it again, this time as Zatoichi. This film is a definate must see. Superb fight sequences, an interesting storyline and characters and with a funny... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 5345
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Stowmarket, England
  - 02 May 2004 at 17:57
Most recent members' reviews of Zatoichi
View all members' reviews (197)
- - 0
  - 7
  This film made me wish I was blind too
  
  This film sucks. I am a huge fan of flims such as the Lone wolf and cub series and lady snowblood but this film is utter rubbish. Its filled with bad acting, ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1031932
- - mechanical-hawk
  - 3 reviews
  - Kings Langley
  - 21 Aug 2011 at 16:08
- - 0
  - 1
  Zatoichi falls on his... er, sword...
  
  This film felt quite embarrassing to watch... particularly the end. Slow, boring and badly acted. If you want kickass Samurai action, go for the original Shogun... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1031772
- - a customer
  - 21 Aug 2011 at 00:31
- - 4
  - 0
  Are you crazy? this is brill
  
  If this film allowed 10 stars I would want to give it twenty [ok, I give it 100% ;-) ]! It has plenty of action, tender moments, humour (of a wry kind) & ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1009844
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Big_eyes
  - 6 reviews
  - 26 Jun 2011 at 03:30
View all members' reviews (197)
News and features
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Blind Loves
- 15 May 2009
“What super power would you have?” someone asks Zuzana in an internet chatroom. “To be invisible,” she replies. “To walk through walls and to read peoples minds…” We get a taste of these wondrous gifts ourselves, courtesy of this beguiling and whimsical observational film by Slovak music video director Juraj Lehotsky. Shot over a five year period, the movie is a documentary which applies some fictional techniques – including some scripted scenes, Read more
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Rating breakdown

20,570 Member ratings

100	3,053
90	2,717
80	4,520
70	3,516
60	2,636
50	1,584
40	868
30	678
20	662
10	336

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- - Buy
- Zatoichi - Blu-ray
  
  Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first period drama with ZATOICHI, an updating of the classic Japanese character portrayed by Shintaro Katsu in movies and television from 1962 to 1989. Zatoichi is a blind samurai who shuffles ...

- - Buy
- Zatoichi
  
  Takeshi Kitano, best known for such gangster films as VIOLENT COP, BOILING POINT, and BROTHER, makes his first period drama with ZATOICHI, an updating of the classic Japanese character portrayed by Shintaro Katsu in movies and television from 1962 to 1989. Zatoichi is a blind samurai who shuffles ...