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Zatôichi
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Zatôichi (2003) More at IMDbPro »

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Zatôichi (2003) -- US Home Video Trailer from Miramax
Zatôichi (2003) -- The blind masseur/swordsman comes to an town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   18,805 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Takeshi Kitano
Writers:
Takeshi Kitano (screenplay)
Kan Shimosawa (novels)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 September 2003 (Japan) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | Crime | Comedy more
Tagline:
His Sword Made Him a Hero... His Courage Made Him a Legend. This Summer, Justice is Blind.
Plot:
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to an town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
21 wins & 10 nominations more
NewsDesk:
Toronto Awards Top Trophy to Japan
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 15 September 2003)

User Comments:
'Beat' Takeshi's sweeping interpretation of the Zatoichi saga... more

Cast

  (in credits order)

Takeshi Kitano ... Zatôichi / Ichi (as Beat Takeshi)
Tadanobu Asano ... Hattori Genosuke
Michiyo Ookusu ... Aunt Oume
Gadarukanaru Taka ... Shinkichi
Daigorô Tachibana ... Geisha Seitaro 'Osei' Naruto
Yuuko Daike ... Geisha Okinu Naruto
Yui Natsukawa ... O-Shino, Hattori's Wife
Ittoku Kishibe ... Boss Inosuke Ginzo
Saburo Ishikura ... Boss Tashichi Ogi
Akira Emoto ... Tavern Owner Pops
Ben Hiura ... Tavern Gramps
Kohji Miura ... Lord Sakai
Hideboh ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Ron II ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Suji ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Noriyasu ... Dancing Farmer (as The Stripes)
Makoto Ashikawa ... Carpenter
Edamame Tsumami ... Carpenter
Kosuke Ohta ... Carpenter
Yoshiyuki Morishita ... Carpenter
Naomasa Musaka ... Yakuza Boss on the Country Road
Shoken Kunimoto ... Rival Swordsman
Daigaku Sekine ... Ginzo's Henchman I
Koji Koike ... Boss Funahachi
Koji Kiryu ... Dice Dealer at Funahachi's Joint
Taigi Kobayashi ... Funahachi's Bodyguard
Ayano Yoshida ... Young O-Kinu
Taichi Saotome ... Young O-Sei (Seitaro)
Kanji Tsuda ... Playboy at Home
Ikki Goto ... Kuchinawa Underling 1
Yoshio Nakamura ... Kuchinawa Underling 3
Hiroaki Noguchi ... Kuchinawa Underling 5
Shinichi Nakatsu ... Kuchinawa Underling 2
Toru Yonezu ... Kuchinawa Underling 4
P. Man ... Tavern Customer 4
Al Kitago ... Farmer Boy 1
Omiya Nomatsu ... Farmer Boy 2
Tsutomu Takeshige ... Farmer Boy 4
Gambino Kobayashi ... Farmer Boy 5
Sammy Moremore Jr. ... Farmer Boy 6
Muhomatsu ... Farmer Boy with a Spear
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yasushi Higuchi
Masayoshi Ohzeki
Kenji Takechi ... Yakuza
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Directed by
Takeshi Kitano 
 
Writing credits
Takeshi Kitano (screenplay)

Kan Shimosawa (novels)

Produced by
Shinji Komiya .... line producer
Jack Maeby .... producer (english language version)
Masayuki Mori .... producer: Office Kitano
Chieko Saitô .... planner
Tsunehisa Saitô .... producer: Saitô Entertainment
Masanori Sanada .... co-producer
Takio Yoshida .... co-producer
 
Original Music by
Keiichi Suzuki 
 
Cinematography by
Katsumi Yanagijima 
 
Film Editing by
Takeshi Kitano 
Yoshinori Oota 
 
Casting by
Takefumi Yoshikawa 
 
Production Design by
Norihiro Isoda 
 
Costume Design by
Yohji Yamamoto 
 
Makeup Department
Kakusei Fujiwara .... special makeup effects artist
 
Production Management
Kensei Mori .... production manager
 
Sound Department
Senji Horiuchi .... sound designer
Akira Nakano .... sound recordist
Kenji Shibazaki .... sound effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Hitoshi Takaya .... lighting director
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kazuko Kurosawa .... costume supervisor
 
Other crew
Hideboh .... choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
Richard Lormand .... publicist: international
Noriyasu .... choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
Ron II .... choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
Haru Shôbara .... script supervisor
Suji .... choreographer: tap dancing (as The Stripes)
 

Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi (International: English title) (informal title)
The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (USA)
Zatoichi (International: English title)
Zatoichi (Argentina) (Chile) (Spain) [es]
Zatoichi - Der blinde Samurai (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Zatoïchi, le samurai (Canada: French title) [fr]
Zatoichi (Brazil) [pt]
Zatoichi (Poland) [pl]
Zatoichi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Zatoichi - Sokea samurai (Finland) [fi]
Zatoichi, o tyflos samurai (Greece) [el]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong stylized bloody violence.
Runtime:
116 min
Country:
Japan
Language:
Japanese
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
It was during the filming of "Zatoichi" in 1988, that one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Japanese film occurred. Shintaro Katsu's son, Ryuutaro Gan, thinking he was using a prop, accidentally used a real blade by mistake and killed stuntman Yukio Kato with a stab wound to the neck. more
Quotes:
Shinkichi: Aren't you betting?
Zatôichi: I'll just watch for now.
Shinkichi: Watch? But you're blind!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Grindhouse (2007) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful:-
'Beat' Takeshi's sweeping interpretation of the Zatoichi saga..., 17 May 2005
9/10
Author: abentenjo from Swindon, UK

Kitano's update on the legacy of one of Japan's most iconic cinematic figures is an exhilarating watch, the more tender moments conflicted by a barrage of bloody violence. Takeshi remains true to his source, undergoing the sedate transformation to play the blind swordsman and part time masseuse Zatoichi himself, as well as co-ordinating the action. His purists will no doubt abhor the witty sense of fun laid on thick in certain characters (a gambling sidekick and an insane neighbour) and the little nuances of irreverent genius (a drum dancing soundtrack and a ho-down finale orchestrated by Japanese dance troupe 'the Stripes'), but this isn't the Yakuza bloodletting of his earlier films, rather a more charming reflection on feudal life, with a distinct post-modern twist. Further confirmation of this is provided by Takeshi's story, which focuses more on the plight of two avenging Geishas (one male) hunting for the prestigious killers of their parents, rather than the motivation for our titular hero, yet Zatoichi does leap into action when he agrees to assist the siblings. Each frame is a Kurosawa-esquire masterstroke. This is Zatoichi for a new era, and with such a breathtaking start, it will be hard for Kitano not to return to his new-found alter ego any time soon.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Zatôichi (2003)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
YES he's really blind suriak-3
Name top 5 samurai flicks you've seen LoneWolf6
Ginzo **spoilers** pingvuiini
wait.....what?! Cressida_du_Coudray
What was Zatoichi doing there? ZatoIchigo
::Spoiler::About the geisha...ahem..you know which one empathy44
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