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Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 1 - The Tale of Zatoichi Director: Kenji Misumi Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Letterbox Format: Black & White, Widescreen Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 96 minutes Studio: Home Vision Entertainment Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2002-05-14 Buy from Amazon |
 "I am hooked"I ran across this series by accident on the internet, being a martial arts buff I was intriqued. I bought the first episode sight unseen. I was never so pleased with the caliber of the acting, story and characters as in Zatoichi. Ichi is a wonderful subject for short movies, it ran from 1962 to 1989. Over 100 shows were made for television and 26 movies. I ordered the second installment as soon as I finished the first. A nice action/drama to be enjoyed by all, my boys enjoyed it even in B/W. A must see!!!! Update: I now have all of the Ichi movies and waiting for the release of Volume 1 of the television series. This series has by far been my favorite, the development of Ichi throughout this series is exceptional. It is no wonder that Shintaro Katsu is still very popular in Japan to this day and is gaining a large following here in the U.S. I only wish I would have had the opprotunity to meet the man who made Zatoichi into a living legend. "a japanese western, but a sword instead of a gun"Before clint eastwood rode the American west as the man with no name, righting injustice with a lightning quick draw, a blind swordsman name Zato Ichi wandered the historical landscape of japan, embodying basic values of fairness and, like Eastwood's character, vanishing off the stage at the movie's end (sometimes even with a setting sun). This DVD begins the Zato Ichi saga and sets the stage for all the rest to come (26 in all). The premise is delightfully outlandish. The character reminds me of the blind Marvel comic book hero "Daredevil," whose heightend sense of hearing allowed opponents to be located by the sound of their movement. Ichi never draws his sword first, but he is always the last man standing, as he takes on one opponent, two, three, four, etc. But for all his seeming superhero like qualities Zato Ichi is drawn in all too human ways and viewers will find themselves touched by a sensitive portrayal of a man who is isolated from the world and from any sustained relationships. His entire life is lived "in the dark." I do not know for sure, but I am guessing that the successful spagetti westerns that made eastwood's career were inspired by this earlier series. The plot of this first film will seem familiar, but the japanese setting lends the story an interesting slant that holds one's attention. And the acting of Shintaro Katsu raises the caliber of the movie to a level of delight. These films celebrate basic human values of honesty, trust and compassion. They also lift up more culturally slanted values of the Japanese culture like duty, "saving face," and honor. I enjoyed this film and will look forward to more to come. Having seen this before on television, I was especially pleased with the appearance of this B & W print and the well done subtitles. It has a great look. It tells a good story. And I can't think of a better way to pass an hour and a half on a rainy Saturday afternoon when I'm sitting at home with my dog. "Zatoichi on DVD Yeah!"Well I have to admit that I am a Zatoichi freak. I have all these movies on VHS, but they are so good I will have to get them all on DVD as well. I can honestly say, for me that is, that I have never been dissapointed in any Zatoichi movie I have purchased. I can watch them time and time again and never get tired of seeing them. This type of movie making is a lost art today as well as the kind of character Zatoichi portrays. The action is great as well as the stories and the acting in these films. Thanks to great places like Amazon.com these movies can now be had by people who live in rural places that would otherwise be unavailable. I highly reccomend these movies, that is the whole series to anyone who likes good honest entertainment.Try one of these out, you may be surprised how much you enjoy it. "Samurai Classic"This is not a chop socky film. This is not about gore, or magic, or even tons of martial arts action. But it is a great drama, about extraordinary men in extraordinary times. And yeah, not everybody lives. "Setting the tone for the giant series"You don't even need to see any other Japanese films to immediately come to love the Zatoichi series. It really is a blessing to audiences, and to anyone looking for fresh and new material (well, some of it honestly is a retelling but, with Shintaro Katsu's unerring dedication and original acting stlye it makes you an instant fan). Sometimes you want to know, "is he really blind or, is he just acting?" The series of Zatoichi "Master Ichi the blind swordsman, and traveling masseur", is not only a must for any compulsive viewer but also a great series with plenty of thrills and acting followed by great story lines. In this the first installment (it's debateable by Ichi freaks), the tone is set not just for a follow up movie but for also a saving throw for the japanese cinema of it's day. As far as movies go and reacurring characters, this has got to be the (best) and longest series ever. And soon all (26?) of them are to be put into dvd format. (Ahh, what more could we ask for?) Here is where we are introduced to Shintaro (and a whole group of actors that with the trained eye you will see in other roles in the entire series) who nails the role with a very humorous and fresh approach. At first he almost plays the role of a wandering mystic who finds the unfortunate and downtrodden admist the vile gangsters of his day, but then you realize Zatoichi is himself a gangster but one who lives by different values and ethics. This draws you to Zatoichi's life and adventures he happens to come across or stumble into or that just fall into his lap. He is very human (with obvious limitations) which as a viewer can even make you feel for him and his role in a very contemporary story. The Ichi series is a great find for any fan of foriegn cinema. With anticipation we await the ongoing re-releasing of a truly unique anti-hero. |
