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20 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :- Sombre and effective period drama, 14 May 2002 Author: Roger Keightley (rkeightley@sympatico.ca) from Toronto, Canada
This is the first of more than 20 films featuring Ichi, a blind masseur-turned-swordsman in medieval Japan. Although he learned to wield a sword only to gain respect, Ichi finds his skill constantly in demand by criminal gangs. He's always reluctant to fight, and resorts to violence only with great reluctance and as a last resort. He prefers to make his living by practising his skills as a masseur and supplementing that income by conning greedy crooks who underestimate his gambling abilities.In this first episode of a series that covered two decades, Ichi is hired by a gang leader to defeat a consumptive samurai who's been imported by a rival gang. The two swordsmen meet while fishing and become friends, but destiny has decreed they must fight each other, and only one will survive…Fans of action movies may be disappointed with ZATOICHI MONOGATARI, because there's virtually no fighting for the movie's first hour. Instead, there's unusual emphasis on character development. Ichi himself receives much of the attention, and Shintaro Katsu (who also played the role in all the sequels) presents us with a subtle, complex portrayal of the reluctant mercenary. His scenes with the enamored sister of one of the gang members and with the mortally sick samurai are played with great sincerity without becoming sentimental. These two characters are also sensitively portrayed. Even many of the crooks are carefully established as individuals.The climax won't disappoint action fans, though. Beginning with a flurry of gang skirmishes, frenetically edited to a throbbing score, it ends on a bitter and almost tragic note after the inevitable confrontation between the two protagonists.Director Kenji Misumi embellishes the slow build-up with a succession of captivating black-and-white compositions and attention to period detail. A degree of pace is maintained by making scene transitions with cuts rather than dissolves. Sets are given visual depth by being framed with foreground objects. The camera is often positioned slightly above or below the characters' eye-lines. Very precise interior lighting creates interesting patterns on and around the actors. By contrast, the daytime exteriors are overly bright and tend to disrupt the mood.Far from being a typical samurai movie, ZATOICHI MONOGATARI is an unusually somber yet effective period drama, and probably the best entry in the long series it inaugurated.
13 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :- Noir cutlery, 3 April 2005 Author: Brandt Sponseller from New York City
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) is a blind masseuse (masseuse was a traditional occupation for the blind in Japan) who took up sword fighting to gain more respect ("Zato" is actually a title--"Ichi" was his name; "Zato" was the lowest title in the traditional guild for the blind). He quickly mastered the art--far surpassing the average sword fighter and even the average samurai--as he seems to have a sixth sense. This film has Zatoichi visiting Sukegoro (Eijiro Yanagi) of Iioka, to "cash in" on some owed hospitality. He begins by slightly conning Sukegoro's gang in a gambling game involving dice. Shortly afterward, he learns that Sukegoro's gang is about to enter a war with Shigezo's (Ryuzo Shimada) rival Sasagawa gang. Shigezo has enlisted the services of Hirate (Shigeru Amachi), a famed samurai. Will Zatoichi help Sukegoro win his battle? This is the first in a series of 26 Zatoichi films (and a television series that ran for four seasons in the 1970s), all starring Katsu in the title role. Remarkably, 25 of the Zatoichi films were made in little more than a ten-year period. This first film was based on a short story by Kan Shimozawa.I haven't seen most of the Zatoichi films yet, and I hadn't seen any of them for a long time, so it's difficult for me to compare Zatoichi 1 with the rest of the series, but I was slightly disappointed with this film. It's a bit too much in the realm of realist drama for my tastes, and as such, moves at a slow clip. There are no big fight scenes until the last 20 minutes or so, and those aren't filmed, directed or choreographed very spectacularly. But the black and white cinematography (which only lasted for one more Zatoichi film) is frequently arresting and the dramatic material does present some intriguing situations, many concerned with various shades of ethical grayness. If you're in the market for an Asian "art-house" drama with a slight martial arts edge, Zatoichi 1 may be just the film for you. If you're looking for something more visceral, or for exciting action, it would probably be safe and wiser to start later in the series.The visual style caught my attention more often than any other aspect of Zatoichi. Director Kenji Misumi, who went on to do five more Zatoichi films after this one, has cinematographer Chishi Makiura shoot in a stark black and white that has a strong, even exaggerated film noirish edge. The whites can be almost blinding and the darks are pitch black. There are a lot of shadows. Much of the film takes place at night and indoors. It's an attractive way to use the minimal sets. The scenes set in different environments are pleasant in their contrast. A scene at a lakeside begins with a Zen Art-styled water through branches shot. The big fight scene near the end has some interesting lake shots and even better village labyrinth shots. The climactic Western (the genre)-like showdown on a bridge is also nicely staged and photographed.The story, using a script by Minoru Inuzuka, focuses on interesting character arcs for the two principals--Zatoichi and Hirate. Especially Zatoichi has a questionable morality when the film begins, but both gradually come to be more concerned with being honorable, just and unselfish by the film's end. This is in contrast to the characters embroiled in romantic relationship dilemmas--Otane (Masayo Banri), Tatekichi (Michio Minami) and Seisuke (Manabu Morita), and even the gang bosses, Shigezo and Sukegoro, who all have little to no character development arc, although Otane is already ethically good (per the conventional wisdom) at the beginning of the film.But Zatoichi and Hirate are initially set against each other as surrogate representatives of warring "families", in what amounts to a yakuza/samurai version of Romeo & Juliet (and by extension West Side Story, 1961). Of course there is no romantic angle between Zatoichi and Hirate, but there is a deep respect and a bonding through a brotherly love that eventually triumphs in its own way over "turf wars". There is an expected end to their relationship, but the appearance of this development (most significantly to the gang bosses) is quite different than what is actually going on between the two of them. The romantic angle is covered instead by Zatoichi's relationship with Otane, which has the appropriate air of being forbidden to cover the Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story analogy, and which also ends up being defined by an intriguing selflessness that rarely rears its head in western (the culture) films.Zatoichi is a fascinating character. Katsu doesn't have a typical martial arts or action star look--already in this film, he appears to be middle aged (beyond his actual age of 30 at the time of shooting) and a bit chubby. His "sixth sense" abilities and cunningness verge on the magical, as do his swordsmanship skills. The character isn't nearly as well explored here as he could be, but given that there were 25 more films to come (and a recent remake with a new Zatoichi), I suppose it's more excusable.It doesn't help that it takes awhile to get up to speed on the relatively large cast of characters with sometimes complex relationships to one another (especially if you're like me and you have trouble remembering character names as well as trouble remembering who is who when characters have similar looks), but once you figure out that it's a kind of West Side Story, it's easy enough to get the gist of events unfolding.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- a decent Zatoichi movie to start the series, 3 July 2005 Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
This Zatoichi movie was the first in the long series. As I had seen MOST of the movies before I saw this film, I think my expectations were a bit too high. This is not to say that this is a bad movie--it certainly is not. However, it seems only average when compared with the others. Also, a few scenes were later repeated and so there weren't that many surprises. One scene in particular, where he is gambling and "accidentally" drops the dice OUTSIDE the cup when he is gambling (i.e., every seeing person there sees whether or not the dice are odds or evens before they bet--so it's an apparent "sure thing") has been used at least three times in his movies. Plus, this isn't exactly one of the better scenes, because it makes Ichi look like a cheater and not the defender of the friendless (as he's usually portrayed). Still, it's a solid film throughout.FYI--if you pay attention, you'll notice that in many scenes Ichi has a shaved head, while in others he has very substantial stubble. Due to editing errors, his hair length goes back and forth during the course of the movie!
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Drama & Samurai Action, 16 April 2005 Author: spider63 from United States
This first Zatoichi film is a great introduction to the character. Shintaru Katsu was a gifted actor who could bring a tremendous sympathy to Zatoichi, and yet Zatoichi was not only compassionate but also a ruthlessly skilled professional swordsman. The premise of the Zatoichi character is that he is a blind masseur who studied swordsmanship with a Sensei because he was tired of being treated with contempt and as the lowest rung on the social ladder of Japanese Culture. With a sword, at least Zatoichi could inspire respect in others, and he could defend himself against those who would beat and rob the blind.But Zatoichi is much more than a vengeful blind man. In fact, he is usually willing to forgive and forget. He is regularly disrespected, and treated badly by those who think he is merely a blind man (who can be easily abused) and yet in spite of having developed a superior swordsmanship skill than most of his adversaries, Zatoichi is humble, and he often allows himself to be insulted rather than to foment a fight which will cause someone else's death.You might be hoping that someone like Zatoichi were running for President or Senator (I wish); but Zatoichi is also a rascal and capable of the kind of mischief that would brand anyone politically incorrect in the current world. He also gambles and likes to drink sake in moderation. Zatoichi is too involved in life to make a good politician, but he is a great hero of the common person. He defends all women, including the ones whose honor has been soiled. He is always polite, except when he wants to punish the evil.Zatoichi is clever, cunning, and as he likes to say "Don't think you can cheat me just because I am blind." Zatoichi turns the tables on the local Gang Lord, and he tries to avoid a fight with the rival clan's top samurai, whom Zatoichi has befriended.In the mix is the sister of Tane. Tane is an evil would-be Samurai. Tane refuses to acknowledge that his own girlfriend is pregnant by him, and after Tane meets her by the local river "to propose marriage", his girlfriend turns up drowned the next morning. Tane is obsessed with moving up in the eyes of the Gang Lord by getting his own sister to marry the Gang Lord's brutal and spoiled son. When his sister refuses, Tane sells her to the heir, saying that he has the right to sell his own sister. The Gang Lord's son then rapes her after she tells him that she will never marry him. Truly, this first Zatoichi film had enough evil characters to keep any hero very busy. The mix of drama, tragedy, and sword-fighting is excellent.The only knock on this film is the fault of a camera man who shot the most important fight scene on a tripod and framed the scene so that the heads of the two main characters are lopped off during most of the confrontation. Considering how popular this movie was at the time (and since then), it seems amazingly negligent that the scene was never re-shot and re-edited.
6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- I'll watch this kind of movie over most big studio stuff any day, 3 April 2005 Author: Atavisten from Tellus
A tale of warring townships and two strong characters who cant help but being pawns in a horrible game of carnage. Set in rural Japan in feudal times the setting is beautiful.Too bad the camera works don't quite follow up. The scope is 70mm (or close to it), but I could settle with less if the cameraman (I suspect they didn't have one) didn't cut off the heads all the time. The use of zoom-lens sometimes works and sometimes don't. One time zooming in on Tane-san for instance was very dramatic. Intense was also the battle scenes. Very good.Zatoichi is a good character and the actor playing him is fitting. The story is good and makes for an intriguing film despite some flaws. In all respects I think its inferior to Sanjuro though.This is my first Zatoichi and I will check out other entries in the series for sure (at least the Kitano "Zatoichi" from 2003 is easy to get hold on).
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :- A Blind Samurai Star is Born, 2 March 2009 Author: Benjamin Gauss from Salzburg, Austria
"Zatôichi Monogatari" aka. "The Tale of Zatoichi" (1962) is the fantastic start to the longest and most famous series of Samurai films, the wonderful "Zatôichi" series about the eponymous blind swordsman, gambler and masseur impersonated by the great Shintarô Katsu. Katsu is one of my personal favorite actors, and I am equally an admirer of the brilliant director he often worked with, the great Kenji Misumi. This first film in the series, as well as several more to come, was directed by Misumi, in my opinion one of the greatest Japanese directors of all-time. My personal favorite films by Misumi will always be the brilliant "Kozure Okami" (aka. "Lone Wolf And Cub") films (1972-1974) starring Shintaro Katsu's equally great brother Tomisaburo Wakayama (four out of the six films were directed by Misumi), as well as the outrageous Samurai-Exploitation classic "Hanzo The Razor - Sword Of Justice" (OT: "Goyôkiba") starring Katsu himself. It was the "Zatôichi" films, however, that made Misumi a known director and brought Katsu to stardom, and the series has long obtained an enormous cult-status. In total, Katsu played the role of Zatoichi in 26 films as well as in a 100-episode TV-series that ran between 1974 and 1979. Misumi directed six of the films, as well as many episodes of the series.The reasons why the Zatôichi franchise enjoys such an enormous cult-status are numerous, but I will stick to the most important ones. The eponymous hero, Zatôichi must be the most likable character ever in cinema to work as a hired sword. Zatôichi, a blind masseur, has obtained his sword skills because he was tired of being looked down upon by others, as usual for blind people in Feudal Japan. Due to his excellent sword-skills, he makes a good living as a hired swordsman. His senses of smell and hearing are as excellent as his swordsmanship, which makes him one of the most powerful swordsmen. Even so, Zatôichi is a kind, gentle and humorous man by nature, who will rather solve problems otherwise than having to kill someone. Shintaro Katsu is brilliant in the role of his life, and I cannot imagine for anyone else to fit the role like Katsu did. Cult-filmmaker Takeshi Kitano (of whom I am a great fan) took a new turn on the role in 2003 - Katsu had passed away in 1997 - and did so greatly. Yet, to me, the only true Zatoichi will always be Shintaro Katsu. This first film in the series is one of only two that were filmed in black and white, and it already epitomizes what makes the brilliance of the series. "Zatôichi Monogatari" mixes Smurai Action with Comedy, Drama and philosophical elements. The film begins with the crafty Zatôichi, who tricks a bunch of fellow gamblers into underestimating him... The film marks the beginning to a great and highly successful series that may not be missed by any lover of Japanese cinema. I had seen several other "Zatôichi" films with Katsu, as well as the 2003 film with (and by) Kitano before seeing this one. The action is great in this first film, but it is the plot that outweighs the fighting by far. Overall, "Zatôichi Monogatari" is a great little piece of cult-cinema and everybody even remotely interested in Japanese films must see it.
3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Fantastic start to a great series, 1 January 2005 Author: Tom (bighouseaz) from United States
For all the new Zatoichi fans that were introduced to the story by Beat Takeshi's 2003 adaptation, do yourselves a favor and see the original!I really wish I could read the movie reviews of this film in Japan in 1962. The story is compelling in many ways and must have been a big surprise to many in Japan. There are two main stories that are poignant and sad in a typical Japanese fashion. The consumptive samurai (Hirate Mike) has fled Edo and is eking out a living as a yojimbo for a rural yakuza boss. Hirate craves an honorable death and only finds solace in the sake bottle. Zaotichi has taken up the sword because he was treated with scorn as a blind masseur. The only lighter moments come in the love interest between Zatoichi and Tane.I have watched this film numerous times. In the latest viewing i couldn't get over what a scum-ball Tate (Tane's brother) is. He has zero scruples, and at one point practically tells his yakuza elder to rape his sister! Thankfully Tate gets his just desserts in the last scene.As others have mentioned, Zatoichi's cane sword doesn't see any real action until the fifty- second minute. This is a great film to learn more about Zatoichi's character. In one scene Zatoichi explains why he took up sword training.This is a great film. The HVE Entertainment DVD is a great way to add this film to your personal film library.
4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- Fight, Zatoichi, Fight!...Please..., 10 April 2003 Author: masercot from Manassas, Va
I DID like this, the first of the series of blind swordsman movies. Ichi doesn't draw his sword for the first half of the movie; moreover, he seems a lot more bitter than in later movies. This being said, it was an excellent movie.Others have described this movie well, so, I will only add something that I noticed while watching the scene of Ichi fishing with the ailing samurai. What made the scene so compelling was not what was said, but, the effective use of silence between them. The pauses in dialog were masterful, especially the long lull at the end of the sequence. It reminded me of some of Kurosawa's work.I recommend this movie, not as the first Zatoichi that you see; but, rather as something to experience after a few of the more exciting movies...after you've developed a relationship with the character.
6 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :- Despite some technical flaws, a great samurai film, 1 September 2003 Author: pksky1 from Northern California
This is just one of a whole series of films about Ichi, the blind swordsman. It is the first one I've seen and I found it to be very satisfying. My only complaint is that many well framed shots seemed to have been poorly aimed or something. It could have been a camera problem, but more then once the tops of the heads of the characters were cut off. It's noticeable, but not a serious problem because the cinematography is otherwise excellent.The plot is rich and thought provoking and the swordplay is exciting. I look forward to seeing the rest of the series.
1 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :- very fine film that is similar to yojimbo, 24 June 2004 Author: chris miller (chris@aptpupil.org) from davis, california
may be some spoilers... one year after yojimbo was released, comes the first installment of zatoichi, the film series. i'm pretty sure this started as a television series in japan, and became hugely popular at some point...i can see why. this story is fairly similar to yojimbo - a wandering stranger (zatoichi, the blind samurai) who works for one of two warring gangs. there are other, smaller similarities that i won't bother to list. since it's so easy to compare the two films (especially given the relative paucity of Japanese samurai films i [and most] have seen) i'll first talk about the relative shortcomings of zatoichi. the score is good, but yojimbo's score is great. the direction in zatoichi is pretty good, whereas kurosawa's direction in yojimbo is almost unparalleled. the cinematography in both films is strong. the acting in yojimbo is amazing - from the smallest role all the way up to the title character, whereas zatoichi has solid acting, but nothing spectacular. in other words, yojimbo is a better film in just about every conceivable way. that said, zatoichi is a great film. its opening sequence serves as a great hook storywise and characterwise. i suppose that by now most Japanese filmgoers would have had some interaction with zatoichi through the TV series, but the filmmakers wisely dedicated some time to getting to know the title character. i think the strongest aspect of this film was the relationship that was built between zatoichi and his adversary. they have a great deal of respect and admiration for each other, at one point zatoichi even gives his adversary a massage while they discuss swordsmanship. a common theme in asian cinema is the "herofication" of traditionally weak individuals - women, blind people, one-armed people, etc. zatoichi, the blind swordsman, is another in this tradition. i'll just say that it's a good film and you should give it a try if you liked yojimbo or sanjuro. B+.
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