Zatôichi monogatari (1962)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Kenji Misumi

Writers:

Minoru Inuzuka (screenplay)
Kan Shimosawa (short story)

Release Date:

18 April 1962 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman. |

Plot Keywords:

Gambler | Zatoichi | Sword Fight | Samurai | Katana

Cast

Shintarô Katsu	...	Zatôichi / Blind Man Ichi / Masseur Ichi
Masayo Banri	...	Tane / Tatekichi's sister / Seisuke's ex-lover
Ryuzo Shimada	...	Shigezô of Sasagawa / Sasagawa yakuza boss
Hajime Mitamura	...	Hanji of Matsugishi
Shigeru Amachi	...	Hirate, Miki
Chitose Maki	...	Yoshi / Hanji's wife
Ikuko Môri	...	Yutaka / Shigezô's wife
Michirô Minami	...	Tatekichi / Tane's brother / Saki's lover / Iioka yakuza member
Eijirô Yanagi	...	Sukegorô of Iioka / Iioka yakuza boss
Toshio Chiba	...	Masakichi / Iioka yakuza member (as Toshirô Chiba)
Manabu Morita	...	Seisuke / Tane's ex-lover / Iioka yakuza member
Yoichi Funaki	...	Yogorô / Sasagawa yakuza member
Kinya Ichikawa	...	Mokichi / Sasagawa yakuza member
Eigoro Onoe	...	Rihei / Sasagawa yakuza member
Yoshito Yamaji	...	Yahei / Father of Tane and Tatekichi

Also Known As:

The Tale of Zatoichi (USA) (video title)
Zatôichi 1 (Japan) (informal title)
Zatoichi: The Life and Opinion of Masseur Ichi

Runtime:

96 min | USA:95 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

Daiei Motion Picture Company

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grindhouse (2007)

Thug Out...Sticks Man

Here's to you Howard! cheers! Action 'Kung Fu' move of pops generation. Early 60's when movies were in Black and White like everything else in those days. So no, it's not the action skills we all grew to lurrve in the 70's latenight big screens on 42nd Street but for posterity you must check it.

On one level it's very very true to Caribbean Shanty stock like you and me. My man, Ichi is just like the Sticksman old folk would tell me about. He is not lowlife, just normal country boy planting corn or massage or just getting by. But he has a gift of kicking ass, just like the Sticksman.

Now imagine you just getting by day to day with your little handicap (you blind or have a limp) and other people see you have a gift, with weapons. Everyone is going to want you to fight for them, conquer and consolidate. Do you become Gun/Sword/Stick for hire? Do you walk away? Do you go 'Yanky on them' and set YOURSELF up as the Man in the Village?

watch the movie then let's sit down and chat these question out....it's a real Historical drama to many of us from the Caribbean. - hey you can guess which option and route my dad took.

Stcy