Zatôichi (2003)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writers:

Takeshi Kitano (screenplay)
Kan Shimosawa (novels)

Release Date:

6 September 2003 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Crime | Comedy

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.

Plot Keywords:

Zatoichi | Blind | Samurai | Swordsman | Murder

Awards:

21 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

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

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 Companies

• Asahi National Broadcasting Company
• Bandai Visual Company
• DENTSU Music And Entertainment
• Office Kitano
• Saitô Entertainment
• TV Asahi
• Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co.

Distributors

• Shochiku Company (2003) (Japan)
• Office Kitano (2003) (Japan)
• Celluloid Dreams (2003) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Artificial Eye (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Bac Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Frenetic Films (2003-2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Sandrew (2004) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Warp Station Edo  exterior sets
• Yoshikawa Casting Office  casting

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]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong stylized bloody violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Brazil:18 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Eiga-mura, Kanami, Kanae-chô, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, Japan

Company:

Asahi National Broadcasting Company

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.

Quotes:

Shinkichi: Aren't you betting?
Zatôichi: I'll just watch for now.
Shinkichi: Watch? But you're blind!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grindhouse (2007)

'Beat' Takeshi's sweeping interpretation of the Zatoichi saga...

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.