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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 |
 "FINALLY ON DVD"Criterion in association with Janus Films has exquisitely remastered the first two of 26 sequels in the life and adventures of Japan's most popular and enduring cinematic hero, Zatoichi, the blind swordsman. A common man with an extraordinary skill and an even greater moral imperative. "THE TALE OF ZATOICHI" introduces the legendary character and its star, Shintaro Katsu. This film from 1962 also introduced a new era of samurai film. Zatoichi, a lowly blind masseur who practices in a small province gets caught in a turf war between rival yakuza gangs. Yakuza honcho Sukejuro, aware of Zatoichi's reputation with his deadly cane sword, tries to hire him -- unsuccessfully -- as a mercenary. Unfortunately, Shigezo, the other gang leader, has already hired a fierce warrior with an equally intimidating skill to challenge Zatoichi. Thus, the legend begins. The finely honed story is greatly enhanced by the stunningly choreographed action. The black and white widescreen picture looks great and the English subtitles are easy to read. Bonus material includes a gallery of original theatrical stills. "Great Movie, So-So Transfer"This is the first in a series of 20-plus films about the blind swordsman, traveling masseur, and low level gangster Zatoichi. This is a truly incredible series that makes its hero more credible than some of the new-school martial arts heroes of today. Shintaru Katsu has created a very sympathetic hero. The action scenes remind me of Kurosawa'a work ( the fight choreography changes in the later entries ). My only gripe is that the outdoor night scenes look a little murky which is why I gave this picture 4 stars. Otherwise, it's a minor quibble and, for a 40 year old film, looks great!  "Janus does it again!"The first Zatoichi film I ever saw was "Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo" and it left me feeling biased to the older, B/W films as well as stuck on "Seven Samurai". Like a number of other "samurai" pics, this isn't just slash and rip non-stop mayhem- there's a story going on here. I would compare this first in the series to the story in "Yojimbo" where two sides are being played against each other, and in Zatoichi's case there's another swordsman whose skill and respect is thrown into the equation. Shintaro Katsu exudes a quirky air of dangerous skill mixed with worldly determination, and plays blind convincingly. I bought this without having seen it already and I must say it was a pleasant surprise! There IS plenty of action, the pace doesn't necessarily lag on account of side-story, and Janus Films provides yet another beautifully restored widescreen print with clear and easy-to-read subtitles. This is a good buy for the price and I plan to get as many of the series as I can... "Ichi is on the scene"In this first installment of the Zatoichi series we are introduced to a lovable blind rogue who is torn between his sence of honor and and his unwillingness to get involved in the affairs of two warring yakuza factions. In the midst of this he finds a true friend and love but must ultimately sacrifice it all. Ichi is indeed a lovable hero who as a messeuse is in the lower caste of society but is respected by people of all levels. While he is blind, his cane sword speaks for justice and for the downtrodden. I have seen five in the series and I am tying to get all of them in my collection. They are true classics which have a plot, character development and sizzeling sword play. After you see this film you will want to collect them too. A True Samurai fan  "A curiosity, certainly."I'm not an "Ichi-freak", as the liner notes call the fans. I came to this out of curiosity, especially considering that the low price combined with HVE meant a good transfer at the very least. Technically, this is quite good. The director makes some very interesting choices visually, and the acting is very strong. Also, HVE's subtitle crew has spoiled me; they're probably the best in the business these days. But, really, this isn't much more than an appetizer for the very similar "Yojimbo", and interesting as a prelude to the nihilistic and violent cinema that would come later; Zatoichi himself is simply a weary gunslinger, but the contempt the movie views both of the gangs with is telling. Zatoichi is an interesting anti-hero, but we get more talk about how incredible and skillful he is with his sword than we actually SEE on the screen, at least in this episode. So, if you're curious or a student of film, dig in. If you're just looking for a samurai flick, go for the great one and buy "Yojimbo." |
